Seven Orangutans Released in East Kalimantan

Samarinda, March 3 (Antara) - The Borneo Orang Utan Survival (BOS) Foundation in East Kalimantan released again seven Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) into their natural habitat on Wednesday.

"Through its reintroduction program at Samboja Lestari in East Kalimantan, the BOS Foundation has again released seven more orangutans into their natural habitat in the Kehje Sewen forest in the districts of Kutai Kartanegara and Kutai Timur," BOS Foundation CEO Jamartin Sihite remarked here on Thursday.

According to him, the seven orangutans were released into the Kehje Sewen forest in cooperation with the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency.

"The seven orangutans were set free into their natural habitat after going through the rehabilitation process at the Samboja Lestari reintroduction center," Jamartin remarked.

Further, he added that the release of two male and five female orangutans on March 1, 2017, will increase the number of their population in the Kehje Sewen Forest.

Earlier in October 2016, the BOSF in East Kalimantan had also released four orangutans into the Kehje Sewen Forest to mark 25 years of dedicated work in the field of orangutan conservation.

Covering an area of 86,450 hectares, the Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kalimantan is managed as an Ecosystem Restoration Concession area by PT Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia.

The BOSF purchased this Ecosystem Restoration Concession area in 2010, specifically to be used as a release site for rehabilitated orangutans.

"We are all aware of the fact that the responsibility of species and habitat conservation rests on all of our shoulders, be it the government, the community, the private sector, or public organizations," Head of the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency Sunandar Trigunajasa stated.

Hence, Sunandar said it was necessary for the Natural Resources Conservation Agency to fully support BOSF`s orangutan release effort. (*)