Born in CA Jantho Aceh, Kemenhut Announces Baby Orangutan

A Sumatran orangutan named Wenda holds her one-week-old baby during an observation at CA Jantho, Aceh, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) reported the birth of one individual baby Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) at the Jantho Orangutan Reintroduction Center in the Jantho Nature Reserve (CA), Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh, ahead of the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni in a statement confirmed from Jakarta, Saturday, said the presence of the baby orangutan was a symbol of new hope for the sustainability of the priceless forest ecosystem.

He also emphasized that the government is committed to continue strengthening conservation efforts, cracking down on illegal wildlife trade, and ensuring that every orangutan released has the opportunity to live, adapt, and breed in its natural habitat.

Head of the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Kemenhut Ujang Wisnu Barata explained that the orangutan child came from a mother named Wenda, who had undergone rehabilitation before living freely in its natural habitat since 2014.

Confirmed on July 29, 2026, at around 16.30 WIB, the Post Release Monitoring (PRM) team detected the presence of an adult female orangutan carrying her baby.

After observing the orangutan closely, Wenda was carrying a baby who was estimated to be less than a week old and female. Signs of pregnancy began to be identified since January 2026 through physical changes observed during observation activities.

Wenda is an orangutan who was brought to the Sibolangit Orangutan Quarantine and Rehabilitation Center-SOCP in 2009 when he was about one year old. In 2013, Wenda was transferred to the Jantho Reintroduction Center and released in 2014.

The addition of the endangered animal population, he said, was the result of synergy between the government, conservation partners, and the community in maintaining the sustainability of the Jantho CA as a habitat for Sumatran orangutans.

"The commitment to maintain the sustainability of CA Jantho as a habitat for Sumatran orangutans by strengthening surveillance, increasing collaboration with conservation partners, and involving the community in protecting forest areas from the threat of destruction and wildlife trade. This success is a joint effort, and we believe that with the synergy of all parties, the future of Sumatran orangutans and their habitat will remain protected," he said.

He emphasized that the birth of a baby orangutan in CA Jantho is not only good news, but also a reminder that maintaining forests means maintaining life.

"Orangutans can only survive if their habitat remains sustainable," he said.