Healthy Conditions Free Of COVID, Orangutans In East Aceh Immediately Released After Evacuation By The BKSDA Team

Officers checking the health of orangutans in East Aceh (Via ANTARA)

ACEH - The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has evacuated a Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) trapped in an oil palm plantation area in East Aceh Regency.

Head of the Aceh BKSDA Agus Arianto said the evacuation was carried out after there was information from the community that one orangutan was in an oil palm plantation.

"We received information that one orangutan was trapped in a palm oil plantation on Sunday afternoon. Based on that information, we immediately sent a team to rescue the protected animal," said Agus Arianto in East Aceh as quoted by Antara, Thursday, May 19.

The location of the oil palm plantation is in the North Julok Rayeuk Plantation Village, Indra Makmur District, East Aceh Regency. The oil palm plantation belongs to PTPN 1.

Agus said the evacuation team involved personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Resort (KSDA) Region 3 Langsa and partners from the Human Orangutan Conflict Response Unit - Orangutan Information Center (Hocru-OIC).

Based on the results of the medical examination carried out by the team in the field, he said, the orangutan is healthy, male, 24 years old and weighing 35 kilograms.

"The team also carried out a COVID-19 examination with a rapid antigen test and the results were negative. The purpose of the examination is to ensure that the orangutan is not positive for COVID-19, which has the potential to infect other orangutans if released into their habitat," said Agus.

According to him, his party decided to release the orangutan back to its natural habitat, because it was in good health.

"Now the Sumatran orangutan has been released into the protected forest area of Pante Jeumpa Village, Bandar Pusaka District, Aceh Tamiang Regency," said Agus.