Conservation center saves orangutan in W. Kalimantan

The West Kalimantan Natural Resources and Conservation Center confiscated on Saturday a 6-year-old orangutan from a resident who had kept the orangutan as a pet in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Center official Parsaoran Samosir said the center had been aware of the orangutan owner for some time, but “We were busy with the orangutan that died in Wajok so we only had a chance to confiscate this orangutan now,” Parsaoran said as quoted by kompas.com. He was referring to a male orangutan that died after it was accidentally set alight by villagers in Wajok, West Kalimantan, last week.

The 17-year-old ape had entered a plantation area in Parit Wak Dongkak, Pontianak. Residents living in the area were afraid that the ape would destroy the crops and they tried to force it out of a tree by setting the tree on fire. The attempt took a wrong turn when the endangered ape, instead of quickly moving away, caught fire. (swd)