Astuti, An Orang Utan Who Succeeds In Escaping From The Trade Of Inter-National Wildlife

Astuti is at home to the background of officials who are trying to return to East Kalimantan, Tuesday 24/1/23 (ANTARA)

BALIKPAPAN - Astuti, this two-year-old orangutan, was finally saved. Primata is suspected to be a victim of the trade in wildlife between islands, or even between countries. This animal was successfully secured by the police in Gorontalo during a raid.

Boalemo Sector Police, Gorontalo, six months ago stopped a pickup in a random raid on the road. The police found a baby orangutan Astuti, and arrested the driver and assistant.

From the results of case development, the police also managed to get a number of other animals, such as gibbon-owa (Hilobates albibarbis), lutung (Trachypithecus auratus), bidawak (Varanus salvator), turtles, and several other animals. The total number is 58 animals.

The orangutan baby was then deposited in the transit cage of the Regional Conservation Section (SKW) II BKSDA Gorontalo Office, to be taken to the Tasikoki Animal Rescue Center (PPS) in Manado.

"The perpetrators who have been caught have been sentenced to 5 months in prison and a fine of Rp. 15 million," said Head of the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Askhari Masiki, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, January 25.

He also believes that those who were convicted were just couriers, while the brains of the planners and perhaps the financiers were still free to roam around.

The caregivers at PPS Tasikoki, when treating him, named the baby orangutan Astuti. Orang orangutan Astuti also underwent a DNA test (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) to trace its origin. Lungs and other internal organs are also X-rayed.

"From the DNA test, we know that Astuti is the morio, Pongo pygmaeus is the morio, the East Kalimantan orangutan," said Askhari again.

According to some literature, Borneo orangutans or Borneo orangutans have a larger body size than orangutans from other regions in Indonesia. His hair is shorter in dark brown or reddish.

Foods consumed by Kalimantan orangutans are also more diverse, ranging from fruits, seeds, leaf shoots, soft tree skin, to insects, adjusting to their habitat. Kalimantan orangutans are often found carrying out activities on the ground and peat swamp forest trees

After being identified as Astuti, coordination with the East Kalimantan BKSDA began, involving the Central for Orangutan Protection (COP) as part of the verdict of the trial of the defendants.

Head of SKW I Berau BKSDA Kaltim, Dheny Mardiono, picked up Astuti in Manado. Askhari and the North Sulawesi BKSDA team participated in escorting Astuti on the Manado-Makassar-Balikpapan flight which lasted approximately three hours, plus five hours of transit at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar. Astuti was placed in a special cage for transportation belonging to COP and entered the trunk of the plane.

Dimengan, Berau, fasilitas rehabilitasi orang orangutan yang kami jalankan. Astuti akan menjalani perawatan rehabilitasi, belajar di sekolah hutan, dan bakal dilepaskan kembali ke alam, kata Direktur Eksektek COP, Daniek Hendarto, menegaskan.

The rehabilitation process is necessary to cure wounds, if any. This includes psychological injuries such as trauma. Moreover, the fact is that Astuti is still a baby and was not with adults when she was found.

It is almost certain that the mother was killed by hunters to get Astuti. Because, it will not just give up the baby, the mother of a wild orangutan in nature.

At forest schools, rehabilitation orangutans, including Astui, will learn survival skills in the wild as orangutans should be. They must be smart in choosing feed, be good at creating nests to graduate from forest school and be on the release list.

"The period of forest school can be relative. There are orangutans who still have big wild instincts, so immediately they can be released into the wild. There are things that may be like Astuti who learn from scratch, including how to learn how to climb," Daniek explained.

From experience, it takes no less than 6-7 years to be able to achieve the skills of choosing feed and creating a nest, also getting to know the dangers, so that orangutans can live safely in nature.

The head of the North Sulawesi BKSDA, Askhari Masiki, suspects that if he is not caught in Gorontalo, there is a possibility that Astuti's orangutan child will continue to reach the Philippines.

In the Philippines, orangutan children such as Astuti, will be kept as pets or pets such as dogs or cats. Maintaining exotic animals gives its own social degree to its owners.

"But after all, orangutans are wild animals, whose lives are independent in nature, not with humans at home," said the head of the East Kalimantan BKSDA, M Ari Wibawanto, on the same occasion.

On the way back to East Kalimantan, Astuti was placed in a cage in the form of an aluminum plate measuring one meter long, 70 cm wide, and 70 cm high. Astuti looked at it through a sequenced window. The black round was like paying attention to and trying to identify who and what was in the lobby of the Sepinggan Airport cargo facility in Balikpapan.

"It looks like his condition is quite stable, so we can continue to Berau immediately," said Daniek. Veterinary examination ensures Astuti gets enough fruit dinner. At 21.00 WITA, the special cargo was already above the 4X4 pickup tub and drove on the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road.