21 Nyaru Menteng’s Orangutans Returned to the Forest Canopy!

First Leg of the Journey Began!
It was such an exciting morning at Nyaru Menteng! Today, 21 orangutans began the first leg of their homecoming journey to the forest of Batikap.

The day started early for the Release Team. Vets, technicians, film crews and other team members were up and ready by 5 am this morning. Together, they went to the new Quarantine Facility where the release candidates had been staying for the last few weeks. As soon as they arrived, the vets prepared their anesthesia equipment and got ready to sedate the orangutans.

Gundul was the first to be sedated using special darting equipment, followed by Leonora and Lamar, Jamal, Sif and Sifa, Mangkutub, Kopi, Giant and Paluy. These 10 orangutans were the first group to be transported by plane to Puruk Cahu, the capital of Murung Raya Regency; a 45-minute flight from Palangka Raya.

Once sedated, they were transferred into travel cages, each labeled with their names. Mother and child were put into the same cage. All cages were then loaded onto a truck and a double cab pickup. And they were off to Palangka Raya Airport. All this process was filmed by BBC.

Pelita Airline arrived on time at 8.30 am and the process of loading-unloading began again. They were unloaded from the truck and the double cab pickup, and loaded onto the plane. By 9 am, all travel cages were on the plane, all secured and ready to go. They took off not long after, accompanied by vet Maryos V. Tandang and Nyaru Menteng Program Manager Anton Nurcahyo. They arrived in Puruk Cahu Airport at 10.15 am.

In Puruk Cahu, another loading-unloading process commenced. They were unloaded from the plane, then loaded onto another truck that soon took them to the transit enclosures at the areal of PT Indo Muro Kencana (IMK).

This first group all settled into their transit enclosures by 10.40 am. They will overnight here at IMK today. Tomorrow, weather permitting, they will be transported by helicopter to Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest, their home sweet home.

Back in Nyaru Menteng, preparation for the second group was already underway. Mother-child pair Emen and Embong were the first to be sedated. They didn’t have to darted as they allowed our Head Vet Agus Fahroni to enter their enclosure and sedate them one by one. The rest, though, had to be darted. This second group consists of Emen and Embong, Chanel and Charlie, Gadis and Garu, Menteng, Jamiat, Terusan, Gusti, and Iyos.

Just like the first group, they were all transferred into travel cages, taken by truck and double cab pickup to Palangka Raya Airport, and flown into Puruk Cahu by the same Pelita Airline.

The plane arrived back in Palangka Raya at around 11.30 am and after loading the next 11 orangutans, it took off to Puruk Cahu at 1 pm. Accompanying the second group were vet Meriam Sirupang, BOSF CEO Jamartin Sihite and BOSF Senior Advisor Jacqui Sunderland-Groves.
 
The second group arrived in Puruk Cahu at 1.45 pm. They were soon unloaded from the plane and loaded onto a truck. By 2.40 pm, they had joined the first group at IMK and all settled into their transit enclosures. The first leg of the journey has concluded smoothly and safely. The orangutans have been fed and are now resting peacefully, waiting for tomorrow when they are finally going home!

8 Semi-Wild Orangutans Returned Home!
Another early start for the Orangutan Release Team in Puruk Cahu. It’s Release Day-2! At around 6.30 am, the team walked to the transit enclosures area at IMK where Anton, our Nyaru Menteng Program Manager, led them in a little prayer to start the day. The weather was on our side. It was going to be a hot, bright, sunny day.

Vet Maryos got right on the job preparing sedation doses for the semi-wild orangutans – the first eight to be transported by helicopter to the forest home today. They are Paluy, Gundul, Jamal, Mangkutub, Gusti, Iyos, Kopi and Giant. While the remaining 13 orangutans, our Forest School Graduates, will spend another night at IMK and their turn will come tomorrow.

The eight orangutans were divided into two groups today. The first group leaving this morning consisted of Paluy, Gundul, Jamal and Mangkutub. Gusti, Iyos, Kopi and Giant would go second. Jamal was the first to be sedated by senior technician Hendro who is very experienced in using the special dart equipment to sedate orangutans. Mangkutub, Gundul and Paluy were sedated next, while the travel cages were being prepared, filled with cozy leaves for them to sleep on and food just in case they woke up and got hungry on the way to the forest.

All four orangutans quickly fell asleep, were transferred into their travel cages and were loaded onto the double cab pickup for transport to the helipad where they waited for the helicopter to arrive.

Not long after, the helicopter – type Squirrel – arrived. Sling load preparation began right away. The travel cages were set on the sling load, secured properly and checked thoroughly by ground crew.

In the meantime, the second helicopter – type Bell – also arrived. This second helicopter was to carry passengers and logistics to Batikap. All passengers were requested to watch a brief video on safety regulations before boarding. The BBC film crew also joined the first team flying into Batikap today.

Just after 10 am, Paluy, Gundul, Jamal and Mangkutub departed on their final journey home, followed by the Release Team and BBC film crew on the second helicopter. The team in Puruk Cahu rested a bit before heading back to the transit enclosures to prepare the second group of the day.

Then the process repeated; Hendro sedated the next four orangutans – Gusti, Iyos, Kopi and Giant. Kopi was first to fall asleep and transferred into her travel cage, followed by Iyos and Gusti. Giant, though, took time to sleep and kept waking up! But finally he, too, was fast asleep and safely put into his travel cage.

The travel cages were again loaded onto the double cab pickup and taken to the helipad. The Squirrel helicopter landed back on the helipad in Puruk Cahu at the same time we finished all of our preparation! These next four orangutans were immediately loaded on the sling load. By 12.30 pm, Gusti, Iyos, Kopi and Giant were lifted off and on the way to their rightful home in Batikap.

The team from Batikap reported that the first group arrived safely in the forest of Batikap at 10.51 am and Paluy, Gundul, Jamal and Mangkutub have all been released successfully! The next lot arrived at 1.20 pm. As expected, Giant was still sleepy when he arrived so he was going to be released last. But after Gusti, Iyos and Kopi were released, Giant was awake and joined his friends in their new home.

Release Day-2 concluded successfully!

The last four empty travel cages landed safely in Puruk Cahu
The last empty travel cages arrived back in Puruk Cahu at around 2.45 pm. Release Day-2 was completed! Have a great life in the forest, you lot! We will be keeping a close eye on you to ensure you are all healthy and happy.

13 of Nyaru Menteng's FIRST EVER Forest School Graduates Returned Home!
The long-awaited day finally arrived! For the first time ever, 13 of Nyaru Menteng’s rehabilitated orangutans – the Forest School graduates – returned to the rainforest canopy where they belong.

Emen and her son Embong, Sif and her daughter Sifa, Gadis and her daughter Garu, Leonora and her son Lamar, Chanel and her son Charlie, as well as three lads Menteng, Jamiat and Terusan embarked on the momentous homecoming journey to the forest.

Just like yesterday, these release candidates were also divided into two groups – 4 travel cages per group. Mother with child shared the same travel cage, while the three males were in individual travel cages. The first group to return home were Emen and Embong, Leonora and Lamar, Chanel and Charlie, and Terusan. The second group consisted of Sif and Sifa, Gadis and Garu, Menteng, and Jamiat. And we were blessed again with clear sky and bright sunshine today!

At 6.30 am, the Orangutan Release Team started preparing travel cages, sedation doses, and other details such as truck, helicopter schedule etc. Having sedated Chanel, Charlie was desperate to wake up his mom. So light sedation was also given to Charlie to calm him down, after which he tucked himself in tightly to his mom’s body. Then as Charlie holding on to his mom, they were both gently carried to their travel cage.

Luckily baby Embong was not so worried. He simply held on tightly to his sedated mom Emen as they were moved to their travel cage. Young lad Terusan was also sedated and soon transferred into his travel cage.

Unlike the others, Leonora seemed to sense where she was going and so she coolly came out of her transit enclosure without making a fuss. She did not even have to be sedated. Carrying her son Lamar, she allowed herself to be calmly led by hand to the travel cage. Leonora was amazing!

Having transferred the first group of orangutans in their travel cages, they were loaded onto a truck and taken to the helipad. At the helipad, Vet Meriam and her team regularly checked the orangutans’ conditions while waiting for the helicopters to arrive.

The Squirrel helicopter designated to carry the orangutans on sling load landed in Puruk Cahu at 8.30 am. And the Bell helicopter for bringing passengers and logistics into the forest soon followed and arrived at 8.55 am.

Sling load net was immediately set up and all travel cages were loaded and secured, closely supervised by Loadmaster John. And at around 9.40 am, the first group of Nyaru Menteng’s Forest School graduates were off!

Returning to the transit enclosures at IMK, vet Meriam yet again prepared sedation doses for the second and final group of orangutans. Jamiat and Menteng were first to be darted, followed by Gadis. Sif was the last sedated.

Once Sif fell asleep, just like Chanel’s son Charlie, Sif’s daughter Sifa was not too happy about that. Displaying typical wild orangutan behavior, Sifa made fierce kiss-squeaking sounds as the technicians approached her. So vet Meriam also gave her light sedation.

Then, the team began moving the orangutans from their transit enclosures into each of their travel cages. Menteng was the last transferred into his travel cage. The process of loading them all onto a truck was not easy. This lot was heavy!

But we finally managed to load the travel cages safely and we were off to the helipad again, waiting for the helicopter to return from Batikap. The Squirrel helicopter arrived at 11.30 am. Once it was refueled, the team set the net and loaded the travel cages onto the sling load.

At exactly 12 noon, the helicopter took off again bringing home the final group of Nyaru Menteng’s first ever forest school graduates! Gadis, Garu, Sif, Sifa, Menteng and Jamiat were finally flying to their new home!

At 2 pm, the helicopter was back in Puruk Cahu with the last four empty travel cages. The Batikap Team reported that all 13 of our rehabilitants have been released! Have a great canopy life, our dear friends! We are still here watching over you to make sure you are all well and content in your rightful forest kingdom.

The 4th Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Release activity has ended on a high note, bringing the total number of released orangutans from Nyaru Menteng to 44. Thank you all so much for your support, contribution and participation.

A collection of photos from the 4th Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Release activity can be enjoyed on our Facebook page. We bid you farewell for now but will be back in the next few days with updates! Watch our blog for these updates from the Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest and follow our Twitter to catch up with other things that we’re doing for our lovely brothers and sisters of the forest.