9 ORANGUTANS WERE RESCUED IN CENTRAL KALIMANTAN

While the excitement of the success of Orangutan Release in February still lingered, a sad story sneaked in. The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation at Nyaru Menteng working together with the Central Kalimantan Conservation and Natural Resources Authority (BKSDA) had to carry out orangutan rescue operation in an narrow forest near oil palm plantation belonging to PT Surya Citra Cemerlang (PT. SCC), Patai village, Cempaga, Kotawaringin Timur Regency, Central Kalimantan.

A group of orangutans took shelter in a 3-ha land of narrow forest near one of the plantation blocks. A worker of PT. SCC said he often saw orangutans came out of the forest and spoiled newly planted oil palm shoots. He added that it had been going on for three months before the rescue operation. “Therefore we requested a joint cooperation with related parties to overcome the conflict,” said Ihsan Mukhlis, Estate Manager PT. SCC.

In addition to the Orangutan Rescue Team consisting of BKSDA and the BOS Foundation’s Nyaru Menteng personnels, the rescue operation was also supported by the technicians from PT. SCC. The operation itself took place for three days on February 19-20. We rescued 9 orangutans, which consisted of 3 pairs of mother and infant, 2 female teenagers and a male teenager.

The first day operation (Feb 19) started at 7 AM. Soon after we started the search, the team found a pair of wild orangutan mother and infant. After an evacuation process which lasted around two hours, the team continued the search to the western border of the forest. In this area the team found two teenage orangutans who were hanging around tall trees. Day-1 Rescue Operation ended at 2 PM with four orangutans successfully evacuated.

Similar to the first day operation, on the second day (20 Feb) the Rescue team repeated the search. Instead of going west, this time the team went east. After finding orangutan nests in the area, the Team highly expected to find several orangutans. On the second day, five orangutans were rescued from the area.

In total 9 orangutans were rescued. Now they are undergoing treatment and quarantine at the “Midway House” at Nyaru Menteng. After being trapped in a narrow forest with barely any food to eat, now these nine orangutans are waiting to be released into a suitable and safe new home.

Rescue and release is the last option in orangutan conservation efforts. A more important step to be taken, especially by private sectors, is to implement Best Management Practices (BMP). Implementation of BMP by a company includes maintaining an area with high biodiversity value or maintaining a suitable forested land within its concession as the habitat for orangutans and other wildlife. Rescue and release becomes the last option when there is no more suitable forest in the concession area.