Ask any man on the street for reasons to conserve an animal and the usually the first reason they think of would for the joy of seeing it around in the future. Cute and cuddly animals such as the Giant Panda or the Koala generating more appeal to the public. However most people fail to realise that conservation holds a much greater cause than that. And in the case of the Proboscis Monkey, despite its looks, it is no different.
Ecosystem
Complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space. (“Ecosystem” Merriam-Webster.com. 2014. http://www.merriam-webster.com (7 Nov 2011) )
In every environment there is a natural balance to it, one typical example would be the food-chain, in which each species produces and consumes certain matter for energy which in turn is consumed by another. This forms a never-ending cycle if not disturbed. Thus it could be said that each species whether known to us or not has a role to perform in its environment. A sort of ecological service to it. Thus when a species is taken out of the chain due to extinction, there is gap which when left unchecked, may lead to another species numbers or its product to be in surplus, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem that could have far ranging consequences.
Studies have shown that the Proboscis Monkey being a folivore may contribute significantly to seed dispersal for the various fruits that form part of its diet (Matsuda et.al, 2013). Thus its survival may well contribute to the maintenance of the very forest it lives in. A forest that we too have a stake in.
Sanctity of Life
Humans in general regard the lives of other humans as sacred and thus should not be discarded easily. However animals too have a should be given a right to survive. As such I believe it would be morally wrong to knowingly destroy a species when it is in your power to co exist with it.
Curiosity
Little has been known about the Proboscis Monkey’s ecology and behaviour with few studies being carried out on it (Buckley, M. , 2002). As such, it would be a waste if such a species were to be driven to extinction before more research could be done. Much knowledge about Indonesia’s ecosystem could be gleaned from its lifestyle and behaviour.
Economy
The tourism industry being the 4th largest among goods and services export sectors in Indonesia contributes significantly to its countries economic growth and development. In 2012 itself, the tourism sector contributes to around US$9 billion of foreign exchange. With nature being one of the reasons for the countries popularity. (Muhammad Hasanudin, 2013)
The Jungles of Borneo are synonymous with its wildlife be it the orang-utans or the Proboscis Monkey. Nature lovers from around the globe travel to these areas to see these icons in the wild. As such the tourism industry benefits from such visits and is in their viable interests to preserve its wildlife.