Santa Came Early! 8 Rehabilitated Orangutans Finally Get Released Back to the Wild

The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation is closing out another year of life-saving work with the release of eight orangutans from the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation center to their new home in the Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest in Murung Raya District. The release group includes seven males and one female, all between the ages of 16 and 26. Thanks to the foundation’s efforts, the orangutans will now finally have the chance to start their new lives in their natural habitat – at last regaining their freedom.

The release was organized in collaboration with the Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KKH-KLHK.)

All but one orangutan chosen for release were male – they hope to raise the number of mature males in the forest, which is now able to accommodate them and their huge cruising range.

Some of the orangutans have been waiting for years to be released due to a lack of suitable forest areas, explained Dr. Ir. Jamartin Sihite, CEO of BOS Foundation. Thanks to cooperation with local and central governments, they were finally given the chance to start their free lives.

The release was assisted by a helicopter provided by the Directorate of Forest and Land Fire Control (PKHL). 

The orangutans were transported to their new home in two groups over two days. 

After the move, the orangutans will continue to be carefully monitored by the team.

“We know that the orangutan is an umbrella species; one that helps maintain forest quality,” said Ir. Bambang Dahono Adji, MM., MSi., Director of KKH–KLHK. “Releasing orangutans from rehabilitation centers is an important step in the orangutan and habitat Conservation effort. It is vital because orangutan releases determine the success rate of long-term rehabilitation efforts, ranging from 7-8 years for each individual orangutan. Forest Conservation depends on a successful rehabilitation program.”

Since 2012, the BOS Foundation has successfully released 326 rehabilitated orangutans to three release sites, 167 of them to the Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest. The latest release is the ninth one conducted by the organization in 2017. The lives of the hundreds of orangutans have been greatly affected by human activity – but, thanks to the efforts of the foundation, they could be saved and returned to their real home.

To learn more about Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, click here.

All image source: Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation