Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - Two teenage twin sisters, Gabriella Thohir (Gabby) and Giovanna Thohir (Ghea) formed The Bekantan Twins Project, a movement to encourage the creation of an environment that supports an increase in the population of proboscis monkeys.
Through its release delivered to Antaranews Branch South Kalimantan, on Tuesday, the Twins Project stated this movement against the extinction of the proboscis monkey with a rambai tree planting and educational campaigns to protect the proboscis.
Many people are not aware that the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), golden yellow hairy monkey with a big nose, is a typical species endemic to Kalimantan.
Proboscis is one of Indonesia's biodiversity recognized as an endangered species by the World Conservation Society (IUCN) and may not be traded internationally since 2010. In 2008, only about 25,000 proboscis monkey in their native habitat.
In Bakut Island Ecotourism Park, South Kalimantan, the population is said only behind 26.
This conditions inspired Gabby and Ghea from SMA Global Jaya Jakarta to form The Bekantan Twins Project.
The seriousness of the twins to fight against the extinction of the bekantan showed by looking directly at the proboscis monkey habitat in the former Land reclamation of Adaro mine at Paringin forest.
In this place, the twins make observations of the environment that support the viability of the proboscis. According to them, in Kalimantan, there are many potential locations to assist the survival of the proboscis, including former mining can be converted into a location that supports the life of this endangered species, such as Bakut Island.
