Indonesia: Eight orangutans released in C Kalimantan forest

Antara 1 Aug 19;

Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) and Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) have released eight orangutans into their natural habitat in Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in Katingan District, Central Kalimantan Province.

The release of these eight orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) has increased the number of orangutans in the national park's forests, BOSF's CEO Jamartin Sihite revealed in his foundation's press statement that ANTARA received here Thursday.

The number of orangutans being treated at BOSF's rehabilitation center has also increased amid the fact that the availability of forests used as a natural habitat for these endangered animals would immediately reach their maximum capacity, he said.

In dealing with this situation, BOSF has been attempting to find other forest areas that could be used as the natural habitat for the orangutans.

The foundation continues to campaign for the strict enforcement of laws against those damaging forests and harming the natural habitat of orangutans. "Conservation is not the work of one man. Instead, it is collaborative," he said.

Three of them were male while five others were female, he said regarding the released orangutans. They were released on July 30 and August 1, 2019.

To release them, the BOSF's workers had to travel 15 hours to reach their natural habitat area which is located along the Hiran riverbank. This location was chosen to help spread the population of orangutans in the national park's area, he said.

As revealed in the WWF's official website, orangutans are regarded as a critically endangered species with their total population on the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra expected to reach around 119,346.

According to the WWF, orangutans on the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra are called "gardeners of the forest" as they contribute to the seed dispersal in their natural habitats. However, due to human pressure, their risk of extinction is increasing.

Reporter: Kasriadi, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Bambang Purwanto