Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian authorities have relocated three critically endangered Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) to a safer conservation area in West Kalimantan to protect them from the severe impacts of the peak dry season.
Head of the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Murlan Dameria Pane said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday that a joint team rescued the primates last Friday (August 21) in Tanjung Pura Village, Ketapang District.
“We are ensuring that the animals receive optimal protection in a vast, safe natural habitat with an abundant food supply,” Pane said.
The rescue team — comprising personnel from the West Kalimantan BKSDA, the Gunung Palung National Park (TNGP) Authority, and the Indonesian Nature Rehabilitation Initiative Foundation (YIARI) — relocated a mother orangutan named Mamak Yuni, her male infant Pura, and a female juvenile named Yuni.
The relocation was prompted after the orangutans wandered into residential areas and community plantations. Officials noted that changing natural conditions and dwindling resources in their habitat corridors during the dry season had driven the animals closer to human settlements.
To prevent potential human-wildlife conflicts and ensure the primates’ well-being, officials opted to move them to a more secure environment.
Prior to the transfer, veterinarians conducted thorough medical examinations. The results confirmed that all three orangutans were in good health and fit for immediate release. The trio was successfully released into Gunung Palung National Park later that day.
In a separate incident, conservation officers also responded to reports of a solitary orangutan spotted crossing community plantations in the neighboring North Kayong District. A team was immediately deployed to track the animal and advise plantation owners on how to safely handle the encounter.
The Forestry Ministry commended the local community’s proactive approach and continues to urge the public to immediately report any wildlife sightings near residential areas to local conservation authorities.
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Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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