Human, can you hear my voice?

Commended Entry: "Human, can you hear my voice?" by Rasheeda Alya Murtari from Indonesia

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2023 in the Junior Category 8 - 11 years.

Bornean Orang Utan's plea:
"Human, can you hear my voice?"

I am a 3-year-old baby Orangutan. I live in the tropical rainforest of Borneo Island.

My body is very thin, only about 3 kg in weight with only bones and skin are visible. My belly is bloated with very thin hair. Of course, I rarely eat. Here, finding food is difficult.

Often my mother doesn't come home all day just to look for food. Even if there is, at most only one fruit that I must share with my four siblings. Here, the air is very hot, arid, and dry. As far as the eye could see, the trees had disappeared. It's hard to find shelter. Not to mention my sore throat, burning every time I breathe air.

Currently there are often sudden storms. Once my family was caught in a rainstorm. My mother, siblings and I managed to escape. But unfortunately, my father died in a flash flood. I think this condition is normal. Turns out my mom has another story. She says, orangutans used to be healthy, fat, strong-muscled, their stomachs were not bloated. It used to be easy to find food. Orangutans only needed to jump a few meters, from one tree to another, and immediately found lots of fruit.

In the past, Borneo's forests were very fertile. The trees grew tall, the air was fresh, cool, and lively where various animals lived, such as red langurs, flat-headed frogs, and red cats. If it rained, it would not cause flooding because the roots of the trees were very strong to hold water. Hearing my mother's story, I can only imagine. Everything looks beautiful and peaceful. She says this happened due to human activity. In our eyes, humans are scary creatures. They often clear forests for mining and plantation without protecting the environment. Humans and orangutans are living creatures that can live side by side. It's okay for humans to use nature for their own interests if it doesn't damage forest habitats and the environment.

O people, can you change your attitude? Care more, protect the environment and the fertility of our forests. We can’t wait long. Can you imagine if we are extinct? Can you imagine the future of this planet without us?

I hope you guys will understand and do something. Not only for me and you, but also for the sustainability of Borneo's forests and this beloved earth.

Congratulations on your essay "Human, can you hear my voice?" This is a lovely essay! Well composed and artfully written. Thank you!

Rasheeda Alya Mortar attends Salma Al-Farisi School in Bandung/ Indonesia. English as Additional Language. Home Language is Indonesian.