Lean times leave orangutans wasting away. Habitat loss makes things worse

[UngulateNerd92]

• Bornean orangutans experience muscle loss when fruit is scarce, as the fat reserves they build up during periods of high fruit availability aren’t enough to meet their needs, a new study has found.
• The researchers say this is surprising because orangutans are known for their tendency to store fat in order to adapt to periods of low food availability.
• The findings highlight that any further disruptions of their fruit supply — including climate change and habitat loss — could have dire consequences for their health and survival.

Orangutans in Borneo have been found to physically waste away when fruit is scarce — a finding with dire implications as human-driven climate change and the destruction of their habitat put their food supply under even greater threat.

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...ing-away-habitat-loss-makes-things-worse/amp/