75 2 Earth under pressure Deforestation in Indonesia is a major threat to the tropical rainforest and the animals that live there. About 80 per cent of logging is performed illegally, and the destruction of the forests has increased rapidly since the 1970s. The Indonesian forests are home to orangutans – great apes with a keen intelligence – who will be eliminated in the wild if the deforestation does not stop. Equally endangered, the Sumatran tiger is the only surviving species of Indonesian tiger. It needs great areas of forest to breed and is also threatened by the logging. Though small in size, bees play an important role in the ecosystem. They pollinate flowers and food plants. Their tireless work helps to give us different types of berries, fruits and vegetables. The loss of bee-habitat and exposure to pesticides are some of the factors that have added several bee species to the endangered list. Scientists are racing to find answers because without pollinating bees the world’s harvest will be endangered too. Sadly, human activity continues to threaten animals and their habitats. Because of this, species continue to die out, ecosystems are breaking down, and we are experiencing more extreme and unstable weather. These alarming facts should get our full attention, so we can do what it takes to preserve our beautiful planet Earth and its diverse wildlife. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an organisation that works to protect wildlife. They categorise threatened species as vulnerable, near threatened, endangered and critically endangered. logging – skógarhögg keen – skarpur to eliminate – útrýma tireless – óþreytandi exposure – berskjöldun pesticide – skordýraeitur
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