After Being Rehabilitated, 10 Orangutans Were Released At The Bukit Baka Bukit Raya TN, Central Kalimantan

One of the orangutans released in the National Park (TNBBBR) of Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan

PALANGKARAYA - Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in collaboration with the Borneo Orangutan Rescue Foundation (Yayasan BOS) and a number of other parties released 10 orangutans into the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR) area of Katingan Regency.

Head of the Central Kalimantan BKSDA, Sadata Noor Adirahmanta, said that wildlife conservation efforts from time to time face increasingly big challenges so that they need to be supported by all parties.

"The government is committed to preserving Indonesia's biodiversity through systematic conservation efforts, namely protecting life-supporting systems, preserving its species diversity and ecosystems and utilizing natural resources in a sustainable manner," Sadtata said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 14.

He said efforts to preserve biodiversity include the release of animals, especially orangutans resulting from rehabilitation to their natural habitats.

Orangutan as one of the flagship species that is a priority of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), its existence in nature must be maintained through various conservation efforts in order to breed properly.

"With the increasing mutual understanding regarding the importance of preserving this protected Kalimantan endemic animal and protecting its habitat, hopefully, the integrity of the forest ecosystem will be maintained," he said.

Head of the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park Center (TNBBBR), Andi Muhammad Gaddafi, arranged that the release was a long process starting from the action of saving animals.

Then continued with rehabilitation, release and monitoring to ensure that animals can live and breed in their habitat. To support this effort, at this release activity, we re-initiated the orangutan monitoring camp located on the Hiran River route, Tumbang Hiran Resort, SPTN (National Park Management Section) Region II, Central Kalimantan.

"With the monitoring of orangutans, it is hoped that in the future the release process will run better because it is supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure," he explained.

He added that since 2016 the TNBBBR Center has collaborated with the local provincial BKSDA and the BOS Foundation has released 189 individual orangutans. With the release of 10 individuals this time, the total that has been released is 199.

"There have been seven natural births on TNBBBR since the release of the first orangutan was carried out here since 2016," he said.

Chief Executive Officer, Jamarutin Sihite BOS Foundation added, the release of the ten orangutans was the second release by the BOS Foundation in 2023.

Meanwhile, at the rehabilitation center, there are currently around 400 orangutans who are rehabilitated to be ready to live freely and independently in the forest. Through joint work involving all parties as well as stakeholders, protection and preservation of orangutans will be more developed and maintained, as well as the forest ecosystem will be healthier so that many benefits will be obtained.

"In order for this ecosystem to develop, they need orangutans and instead, they give us fresh air humans, clean water, and a regular climate," he explained.

Meanwhile, based on information gathered in the field, of the 10 orangutans released by the BKSDA and a number of these parties consisted of two males and eight females who had undergone rehabilitation at the Nyaru Menteng BOS Foundation, Central Kalimantan.