Papua New Guinea & West Papua: Species Endangered by Palm Oil Deforestation

As the rainforest habitats are destroyed in Indonesia, Indonesian and Chinese oil palm processing companies are switching focus towards Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Africa and South America to keep up with demand for palm oil.

Papua New Guinea and West Papua were divided up and taken by force colonial forces from Indonesia in the middle of last century, however for the indigenous owners of the islands of Papua and Melanesia, the Papuans who have lived the region for thousands of years simply call this region – home.

Papua harbours uniquely beautiful animals including rare marsupials and birds not found anywhere else on the planet. In the lush and fertile forests of Papua live thinking, feeling and intelligent beings that love their children. Just like us, they just want to survive and have their animal families and communities left in peace. These animals live in Papua New Guinea and have a IUCN Red List status of Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Although animal conservation is still relatively new in Papua New Guinea, there is hope, with conservation foundations working to protect these species and the rainforest they live in.

Rainforests in Papua are now under threat by palm oil plantations on illegally taken land

Indigenous people are the rightful and proper custodians of rainforests and their voices deserve to be heard in environmental campaigns.

Source Palm Oil Detectives: https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/papua-new-guinea/