Malaysia: Saved orang utan back in the wild

stephanie lee The Star 4 Oct 18;

KOTA KINABALU: Tiger, the rescued baby orang utan that spent 17 years in the Sepilok Forest Reserve, is back where he belongs.

Now 19 years of age and considered an adult, Tiger was set free at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve (TWR) in Lahat Datu yesterday.

Sabah Wildlife Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said they were confident that Tiger would not face many problems adjusting to his “new and bigger home”.

He said this was because Tiger had been living free at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre since his rescue.

“The veterinarians and wildlife rangers also agreed that it is time for Tiger to live on his own,” he said.

Dr Sen said the veterinarians conducted their final medical check-up and tests on Tiger on Tuesday.

“At 3am yesterday (Wednesday), we loaded Tiger into a transport cage and started the first stage of his journey to freedom.

“First was a three-hour car journey from the Sepilok centre, then onto the TWR’s helipad,” he said.

Dr Sen said from there, Tiger was flown to the wildlife reserve core area where he last made contact with humans.

The TWR comprises about 120,000ha mature secondary jungle and virgin primary forest.

Dr Sen said the process was made possible through the cooperation between the Sabah Wildlife Department, Orangutan Appeal UK and the Danau Girang Field Centre.



Orangutan named "Tiger" released into the wild
Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 4 Oct 18;

KOTA KINABALU: A male Bornean orangutan nicknamed “Tiger” was released into the wild after 18 years in the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.

Tiger, aged 20, was translocated to the Tabin wildlife reserve in Lahad Datu yesterday, through a joint effort between Sabah Wildlife Department and a UK-based charity Orangutan Appeal UK.

State wildlife director Augustine Tuuga, in a statement today, said Tiger was brought to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center some 18 years ago as a very timid two-year-old orphaned baby orangutan.

“He spent the next few years undergoing the rehabilitation process there. Ironically, Tiger was actually rescued from a logging camp somewhere in Lahad Datu and now is being translocated back to Tabin Wildlife Reserve’s Core Area, also in Lahad Datu.

“The department would like to thank Orangutan Appeal UK for funding this whole translocation operation which cost more than RM50,000,” he said.


A male Bornean orangutan nicknamed “Tiger” was released into the wild after 18 years in the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
Tuuga added that Tabin Wildlife Reserve was an ideal place to release Tiger as it was a large area for him to comfortably forage in.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council for funding the department’s Wildlife rescue Unit, which played a critical role in making the translocation operation a success.

Meanwhile, Orangutan Appeal UK founder and chairperson Sue Sheward said the release of Tiger from Sepilok to the Tabin reserve made history, with everyone in the organisation and wildlife department pooling their resources to achieve the goal.

“With the assistance of good friends within Sabah and the UK, yet another magnificent orangutan was saved,” concluded Sue