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rangutans are enduring conditions in overcrowded rehabilitation centers nationwide, due to an increase in illegal hunting and a decrease in their natural habitat, a veterinarian has said.

Speaking at an annual gathering of orangutan lovers held at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, veterinarian Citra Kasih said some 1,000 orangutans had been rescued and taken into care by six rehabilitation centers across the country.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) rehabilitation center, for example, has the capacity to accommodate 300 orangutans. 'However, it currently has 500 of them,' Citra told the forum.

Also attending the forum were veterinarians from a number of countries, including Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand and the US.

Citra blamed the situation on the rampant illegal hunting of and trade in the protected animals as well as the widespread devastation of their natural habitat.

She said many orangutans in the rehabilitation centers had suffered injuries and wounds due to illegal hunting, while others had been seized as they were about to smuggled abroad.

Raffaela Commitante from the University of California, echoed Citra's comments, saying that the annual meeting was important to improve knowledge and skills in orangutan preservation.