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22 Ketapang orangutans rescued in 2013
Twenty-two orangutans in Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan, have been rescued in 2013 so far, all of which are now being treated at the International Animal Rescue (YIARI) rehabilitation center in Ketapang, said an NGO
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wenty-two orangutans in Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan, have been rescued in 2013 so far, all of which are now being treated at the International Animal Rescue (YIARI) rehabilitation center in Ketapang, said an NGO.
The latest figure brought the total number of orangutans rescued in Ketapang since 2010 to 81. Orangutans are a critically endangered species.
'Most of the orangutans rescued were being kept as pets or were being held in captivity by companies seeking to clear land,' Palung Foundation (YP) assistant manager for environment education and media campaign Petrus Kanisius on Sunday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the opening of Orangutan Awareness Week (PPO) 2013, jointly held by YP, YIARI, Fauna Flora International (FFI) and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) West Kalimantan in Tanjungpura square, Ketapang, on Sunday.
The 7th PPO, which is a YP annual event, has 'Together, Fight against Orangutan Extinction' as a theme. Around 500 residents participated in the event, which featured various activities such as a mass leisurely walk and bike ride.
Orangutans are frequently found dead in Indonesia, particularly in West Kalimantan. In the most recent case, which occurred in early November, local residents who live near Pontianak found an orangutan near death from a gunshot wound. The animal died, and the residents cooked and ate it.
'Orangutans are increasingly under threat and it is our hope that we can work together to protect them from extinction,' said YIARI program director Adi Irawan. (ebf)
