TEMON & LAHEI BREAKS THE JUNGLE RULES
Do you remember the story of Temon and Lahei, the duo who once disappeared from Forest School?
December 2007 marked an important milestone in orangutan conservation. The President of the Republic of Indonesia at the time, Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, officially launched “Orangutan Conservation Strategies and Action Plan 2007-2017” during a climate change conference in Bali, acknowledging orangutan as a crucial primate species to be protected and an important part of Indonesia’s biodiversity.
The Action Plan aimed to provide guidelines to save both Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, and serve as a reference for various institutions working in orangutan conservation. Among the meticulously detailed strategies described in the Action Plan was an obligation to return all orangutans in rehabilitation centers to their natural habitat by 2015.
It is now the last day of 2015. What has BOS Foundation done to fulfill this obligation? Have we succeeded?
Finding a suitable and secure forest for orangutans has been the greatest challenge. BOS Foundation conducted various surveys, worked with all levels of government, collaborated with communities, and also established a company, PT. Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia (RHOI) for the sole purpose of obtaining the right to manage natural forests under the Ecosystem Restoration Concession (ERC) scheme. Proposals to obtain ERCs, both in East and Central Kalimantan, were lodged.
RHOI was awarded an ERC permit in 2010 for a forest in East Kalimantan, which we named Kehje Sewen Forest. While waiting for ERC permit in Central Kalimantan, BOS Foundation worked with the provincial and regional governments to reintroduce orangutans in government-managed Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest. Starting February 2012 to December 2015, BOS Foundation has successfully released a total of 195 orangutans in Batikap and Kehje Sewen!
2007 – 2015: BOS Foundation Orangutan Conservation (Photo credit: BOSF 2015)
In early 2015, BOS Foundation has also acquired a 655-hectare area on Salat Island, Central Kalimantan for two main purposes—as a pre-release area for the last phase of rehabilitation, and as a sanctuary for the un-releaseable orangutans.
However, BOS Foundation has not succeeded in obtaining an ERC in Central Kalimantan. Advised by 13 mining companies planning to operate in the area, the government withdrew their support for an ERC. Finding a forest is getting harder. BOS Foundation is now trying to find other suitable and secure forests that we could use for more orangutan release site.
It is now the last day of 2015 and BOS Foundation is still caring for over 700 orangutans in its two rehabilitation centers—Samboja Lestari and Nyaru Menteng. Many are waiting their turns to return to the wild. Many more are still undergoing rehabilitation in Forest Schools. All the while, new orphaned babies are still coming through rescues, confiscations, and handovers.
BOS Foundation needs support, commitments, and real actions—financially as well as politically—from all stakeholders in the attempt to fulfill requirements stated in the Action Plan. We need each and every one of YOU!
Do you remember the story of Temon and Lahei, the duo who once disappeared from Forest School?
When people think of bears, the image that usually comes to mind is that of large and powerful creatures such as grizzlies or polar bears. Yet in Southeast Asia lives the smallest bear in the world is a the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus).
Since Kopral was moved to Socialization Enclosure in last year, his movements have become noticeably more active.
