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View all search resultsMinistry probes alleged wildlife violation in burned oil palm concession
A skull of Bornean orangutan was recovered within an oil palm concession controlled by a subsidiary of Singaporean agricultural giant First Resources Ltd. in Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan after wildfire broke out in the firm’s plantation in the past months.
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An orangutan hangs from a tree in a palm-oil plantation affected by wildfires before being rescued in Laman Satong village, Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on Sept. 30, 2026. The intense wildfires, burning mainly on Kalimantan and Sumatra, began in July and could continue until November, aggravated by a severe El Niño weather pattern, the government has warned. (Reuters/Victor Fidelis Sentosa)
T
he government is investigating an alleged wildlife killing within an oil palm concession owned by a Singaporean firm certified sustainable in West Kalimantan after a recent discovery of a suspected orangutan skull on the site.
The skull was recovered on Oct. 8 within a high conservation value (HCV) forest of PT Kayung Agro Lestari, a subsidiary of Singaporean agricultural giant First Resources Ltd., in Ketapang regency. HCV refers to a part of the concession where social and biodiversity values are detected.
“The finding in the HCV area is currently being followed up by a joint team, including by gathering information from the company,” Forestry Ministry spokesperson Ristianto Pribadi told The Jakarta Post on Oct. 14.
He added the ongoing investigation seeks to verify the species as well as its cause and time of death to decide on subsequent legal steps.
Kayung Agro Lestari operates nearly 10,000 hectares of oil palm plantation, more than half the size of Bandung city in West Java, that has received a sustainable certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which issues a widely recognized green label required to enter much of the global market.
Of the concession's total area, nearly 4,000 ha was identified as HCV forest blocks, forming a monitoring site for around 180 individuals of Bornean orangutans, according to a 2019 assessment when the company had yet been acquired by First Resources. Under the RSPO, companies are required to assess biodiversity and social values prior to planting activities.
A First Resources spokesperson told the Post on Oct. 14 that the company “remains committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities and addressing any findings arising from their assessments”.
