Our first rescue mission of 2021!

At the end of January, we received a call from the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) to assist them in rescuing an adult male orangutan, estimated to be 25+ years old, from the outskirts of Palangka Raya, a city 40 kilometres from Nyaru Menteng.

We had previously received information about this orangutan from local farmers, but a lack of consistent reporting about his location delayed the operation until we finally had enough definitive information to execute the rescue effort.

Deforestation is the main threat to orangutans because as their rainforest home is being destroyed, they are forced to seek food elsewhere sometimes, as here, raiding the crops of farmers. Thankfully, these kind locals contacted the BKSDA, thereby avoiding conflict which can easily prove injurious to the orangutan.

When found, the orangutan was observed to be in relatively good condition, in fact he was a bit overweight. He had a raised temperature, but this quickly returned to normal and the temporary spike was attributed to the stressful situation and the intense tropical heat accompanying the midday sun. The full medical examination revealed that he had broken the middle finger on his right hand and his lower canines at some point, but both were long healed.

Like other wild adult orangutans we have helped to rescue in the past, his fate was left with the BKSDA, who chose to immediately transfer him to a safe forest as he was showing wild behaviours and was physically healthy. This practice is commonly known as translocation. In situations where an orangutan has suffered injury or illness, we provide dedicated healthcare to ensure their recovery for future translocation or later reintroduction.

We hope this male orangutan stays safe and enjoys his new home!