TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Six orangutans released into natural habitat in E.Kalimantan
Change Size
Endangered -- Cita, a 11-year-old female orangutan, was released into the Kehje Sewen forest in East Kutai-Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, on Dec.13. (Courtesy of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF)/File)
T
he Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) released on Tuesday six more orangutans into the Kehje Sewen forest in East Kutai-Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.
“With the latest release, we have now returned 250 Kalimantan orangutans to their natural habitat since 2012,” BOSF chief executive officer Jamartin Sihite said on Monday.
He said that more and more parties were now concerned about the fate of orangutans. Popular model Davina Veronica, actress Dominique Diyose and Fade2Black, a rap group led by singer Bondan Prakoso, participated in the release of the six orangutans into the forest, which is around 500 kilometers southeast of Balikpapan.
“The release will mark BOSF’s 25th anniversary,” said Sihite.
One of the six orangutans is Ingrid, a 12-year-old female that was born and raised at Samboja Lestari, a reintroduction center managed by the BOSF in Samboja, 50 km north of Balikpapan.
Another orangutan released is Cita, an 11-year old female. Veterinarian dr Agus said that since she was 7 years old, Cita had been living independently. He said that the independence of an orangutan could be seen from its ability to forage for food independently and to make a nest.
Two male orangutans, Bong and Valen, have interesting stories. Bong was repatriated from a zoo in Vietnam by the East Kalimantan Conservation and Natural Resources Agency (BKSDA) in 2006 when he was 4 years old. Bong had to be rehabilitated to prepare him for life in the wild.
It took around 12 hours to bring the six orangutans from Samboja Lestari to the Kehje Sewen forest. “Every two hours, we have to stop and check their condition,” said Agus. (ebf)
