Seven more went wild
We are thrilled to announce, that we have successfully released an additional seven orangutans into the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR) in Central Kalimantan last week.
This is the 37th release from our Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, conducted in cooperation with the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the TNBBBR office and other parties.
The release team transported the four males and three females by land and river. The entire journey, including breaks, took almost 20 hours. With the arrival of the seven new individuals, the total number of released orangutans in the TNBBBR increased to 234 since 2016 – including five wild-born babies.
Amber, Barlian, Darryl, Randy, Reren, Suayap and Unggang are between eight and 22 years old and have gone through a lengthy rehabilitation process between seven and 16.5 years.
22-year-old female Suayap’s story is especially touching. Together with 48 other orangutans, she was repatriated from Thailand in 2006. Until now, Suayap is only one of seven of them who completed the rehabilitation process and could be returned to the wild. All 48 had been forced to live like humans for entertainment and were exploited in boxing shows and other performances. As a result, their rehabilitation process is very slow and often impossible to complete.
Like our last two releases in February and April, this one was conducted with strict health protocols in place, says BOS CEO, Dr. Jamartin Sihite: “All personnel and orangutans released from the rehabilitation centre have undergone a rigorous health test and were negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”
Despite this wonderful news, there are still many other orangutans in our care that are ready to return to the wild or to a pre-release island. We urgently need your support, so they don’t have to wait any longer. Every dollar helps and will be matched if you donate to our tax appeal by June 30. Thank you so much in the name of the orangutans!
