MOZA’S JOURNEY FROM KUWAIT TO MOTHERHOOD ON KAJA ISLAND
On September 13, 2015, a two-year-old female orangutan began a long journey back to Indonesia. The young orangutan was later named Moza.
The camps where the BOS Foundation’s post-release monitoring (PRM) teams work are always located deep in the forest, which means they can be exceptionally difficult to reach!
Camp Nles Mamse is located deep in the southern part of Kehje Sewen Forest, in the East Kutai Regency. The nearest town to the camp is Muara Wahau, located approximately 70 kilometres away. The trip via road with a 4x4 truck from our mess in Muara Wahau to the camp takes around four hours under optimum conditions - when there are no muddy or damaged roads from heavy rains or landslides.
The trip by truck consists of two parts: for the first half of the journey, we travel along a dirt road through hundreds of hectares of oil palm plantations. The second half involves driving down winding roads that cut through a logging concession forest. At the end of the trip, we reach Pier 67, a sloped riverbank ideal for loading and unloading goods on boats. From Pier 67, we ride upstream along the Telen River on a motorised long-boat known locally as a cis, before reaching Nles Mamse Camp on the opposite side of the river. The Telen River is also one of the main traffic routes used to reach our observation and survey sites in the forest.
The biggest problem in utilising the waterway is that we are always at the mercy of the ever-changing river current, which varies in strength depending on rainfall. When it is raining a lot upstream, we typically have to wait it out. Sometimes, we have to navigate the forest on foot using existing transects. Even then, we still have to cross the river at some point to reach certain locations.
Recently, our team departed from the mess in Muara Wahau and headed to Camp Nles Mamse, but had to stop the journey at Pier 67 as the river current was too strong for the cis to pass. The team set up camp and waited days for the river current to calm down, but it showed no sign of slowing! Our team couldn't wait any longer and decided to head to camp on foot.
Trekking through the forest to reach camp meant that our team members had to go a long way around to look for the smallest river fork to cross. This proved to be a real challenge as the distance that needed to be covered was about three kilometres longer than anticipated and the team had to trudge through dense vegetation along an unknown transect full of fallen trees, unstable ground, and hilly terrain. There is never a dull moment in the Kehje Sewen Forest when you are a PRM team member! After travelling for an exhausting hour, the team finally arrived at Camp Nles Mamse.
Our team members enjoy working in a place that always presents challenges like this, as it helps keep them alert and closer to nature. We hope our team members remain in good spirits and good health, so they can continue to carry out the task of observing and collecting data on orangutans in this beautiful forest!
On September 13, 2015, a two-year-old female orangutan began a long journey back to Indonesia. The young orangutan was later named Moza.
In the Tuanan Research Station, wild male orangutans move through the canopy with remarkable strength and grace. Among them is Dayak: a majestic flanged male whose broad cheek pads signal maturity, dominance, and excellent health.
Roy, a young male orangutan estimated to be around two years old, is now undergoing rehabilitation at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Central Kalimantan.
