During This Year, The BKSDA Pangkalan Bun Has Released 11 Orangutans Into Nature

Photo by Pat Whelen on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Regional Conservation Section (SKW) II Pangkalan Bun with the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) has released 11 orangutans into the wild since early 2022.

"Most of the orangutans were the result of saving the BKSDA and OFI. The rest were handed over by the community," said Head of the SKW II BKSDA Pangkalan Bun Dendi Sutiadi at Pangkalan Bun, West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, Wednesday, September 28, quoted from Antara.

The orangutans were released in the Tanjung Puting National Park area and the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

"Because these two places are indeed habitats and areas of orangutan conservation. Apart from being far from settlements, it is also because the location is not a production forest," said Dendi.

He explained that the orangutans who were released back into their habitat had undergone quarantine and health checks.

"If his condition is healthy and there are no problems, he will be immediately released. If he is sick, he will be quarantined first to receive treatment until he recovers," he said.

He added that most of the orangutans were still children, so they had to undergo quarantine and adaptation processes before being released into the forest.

In addition to releasing orangutans, the SKW II BKSDA Pangkalan Bun also released other protected wildlife including pangolins, gibbons, uk, estuarine crocodiles, sinyulong crocodiles, sun bears, slow lorises, and bekantans.

"There are also types of birds that we released, such as parrots, cucak ijo, and bondol eagles," he said.

Dendi reminded residents not to maintain, capture, and kill animals that are classified as protected under Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems.

Residents who are proven to have violated the provisions of the law, according to him, can be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

He also appealed to residents to report problems relating to wildlife to the SKW II SKW II Pangkalan Bun BKSDA at 085390373183 or Central Kalimantan BKSDA call center service at 08115218500.

The SKW II BKSDA Pangkalan Bun covers five areas in Central Kalimantan, namely East Kotawaringin, Seruyan, Lamandau, Sukamara, and West Kotawaringin.