In commemoration of Earth Day, the Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation and several other partners, will today release five rehabilitated orangutans and return one additional individual from Samboja Lestari to the Kehje Sewen Forest, located in Kutai Timur and Kutai Kartanegara Regencies, East Kalimantan.
Since 2015, the southern part of Kehje Sewen Forest has served as a release site for rehabilitated orangutans. This year, the forest once again becomes a new home for five orangutans who have completed their rehabilitation process, along with one orangutan returning after intensive medical care at Samboja Lestari. Reaching the release site requires a range of transport methods, including four-wheel-drive vehicles, boats, and manual labor to carry the transport cages through rugged terrain. The journey takes approximately 20 hours and is highly dependent on field conditions, including landslide-prone areas that may delay travel.
Among the six released orangutans are three males and three females. One of the males, Uli, is 28 years old. He was first discovered in 2021 after wandering into a settlement near the forest edge. Uli was rescued by the wildlife rescue team from BKSDA East Kalimantan, SKW III Balikpapan, in collaboration with the BOS Foundation in Samboja Lestari. Following a period of rehabilitation, Uli is now healthy, weighing 80 kilograms, and ready to return to the wild.
The youngest of the group, ten-year-old female orangutan Mikhayla, was rescued near the Sangatta–Bengalon highway, inside a mining concession operated by PT Kaltim Prima Coal. When she was found on January 12, 2025, she was severely malnourished and showing signs of prolonged stress. The proximity of her location to a major road linking Bengalon and Muara Wahau posed significant danger. Her rescue was made possible through a close collaboration between BKSDA East Kalimantan, the BOS Foundation, the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), and the Conservation Action Network (CAN). Upon her arrival at Samboja Lestari, Mikhayla received immediate medical attention, including nutritional supplementation and treatment for parasitic infections. After three months of intensive rehabilitation, she has made a remarkable recovery and is now ready to start a new life in Kehje Sewen Forest.
Another female orangutan released is Mori, who was originally released in 2019 but had to be brought back to Samboja Lestari in 2020 for intensive treatment. Now fully recovered and declared fit, Mori is finally able to return to her home in the forest.
RAJA JULI ANTONI, M.A., Ph.D., MINISTER OF FORESTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, stated in his remarks "Today, six rehabilitated orangutans from the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue Center, managed by the BOS Foundation, have been released into the Kehje Sewen Forest. This moment is more than just a ceremony, it is a tangible expression of our shared commitment to preserving Indonesia’s natural heritage, particularly the extraordinary and critically important species, the Bornean orangutan. The Ministry of Forestry is committed to strengthening conservation policies that are grounded in scientific knowledge, ecosystem-based approaches, and community participation. Through programs such as ecosystem restoration, strengthening of conservation areas, wildlife rehabilitation, and habitat recovery, we strive to create a sustainable future for both people and nature. We also aim to encourage more collaborative efforts like the one we are witnessing today. Species conservation cannot be achieved by the government alone; it requires the support and participation of all stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of our biodiversity and ecosystem conservation goals. In this regard, community participation is essential and strategic, as is the role of the private sector in species preservation. Conservation is not only about saving species, it is also about strengthening the connection between humans and nature, safeguarding our legacy for future generations, and ensuring our forests remain sustainable for years to come.”
DR. IR. JAMARTIN SIHITE, M.SC., CHAIRMAN OF THE BOS FOUNDATION, added “The release of orangutans on Earth Day serves as a powerful reminder that wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, especially for critically endangered species like orangutans, is a shared responsibility. While releases continue, the challenges remain immense. More than 350 orangutans are still awaiting their future in BOSF’s rehabilitation centers. Therefore, orangutan protection must be pursued with a spirit of building a just and sustainable Earth for all living beings. Strong collaboration between the government, communities, private sector, and conservation organizations like the BOS Foundation is key to ensuring forests remain safe havens for orangutans and all life that depends on them.”
SIHOL ARITONANG, PRESIDENT DIRECTOR OF PT RAPP (PT RIAU ANDALAN PULP AND PAPER, AN OPERATING UNIT OF APRIL GROUP), also stated “It is an honor for us to take part in today’s release of six orangutans as a concrete contribution to wildlife conservation in Indonesia. Through the partnership between APRIL and PT RHOI, and in line with our APRIL2030 sustainability commitments, we actively support the protection of endangered and protected species such as the Bornean orangutan, and are dedicated to preserving their natural habitat.”
The Ministry of Forestry, together with the BOS Foundation, extends its appreciation and gratitude to the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan, the Regency Governments of Kutai Timur and Kutai Kartanegara, as well as the communities in both regions, for their support and cooperation.
The BOS Foundation also expresses heartfelt appreciation to all our partners, including BOS Australia, BOS Germany, BOS New Zealand, BOS Schweiz, BOS UK, BOS USA, BOS France, and Save the Orangutan, as well as our global supporters such as Orangutan Outreach, whose significant contributions continue to support our orangutan conservation efforts. Their unwavering support plays a crucial role in the success of our mission in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Forestry is also sincerely grateful for the contributions of business entities such as PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (PT RAPP), an operational unit of APRIL Group and PT Bank Central Asia Tbk, as well as individual donors from around the globe whose generosity has helped sustain our ongoing efforts to protect and conserve orangutans and their natural habitat.
*Photos and video documentation are available for download via Google Drive [here]
Editors Note :
About the BOS Foundation
Established in 1991, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS Foundation) is an Indonesian non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Bornean orangutans and their habitat. It works in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, local communities, and international partner organizations.
The BOS Foundation currently cares for more than 350 orangutans with the support of over 400 dedicated staff members, as well as experts in primatology, biodiversity, forest rehabilitation, agroforestry, community empowerment, education, communications, and orangutan health. For more information, visit www.orangutan.or.id
About PT. RHOI
PT. Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia (RHOI) is a company established by the BOS Foundation on April 21, 2009, for the purpose of obtaining a Forest Timber Utilisation Business Permit for Ecosystem Restoration (IUPHHK-RE) for orangutan releases.
As an NGO, the BOS Foundation cannot legally obtain this permit. That is why the BOS Foundation established a company, RHOI, as a means to obtain the permit. The IUPHHK-RE grants RHOI authority in the use and management of a concession area, in this case, a forest, which is crucial for orangutan releases.
On August 18, 2010, RHOI successfully obtained the IUPHHK-RE from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, for a forest area of 86,593 hectares in Kutai Timur and Kutai Kartanegara Regencies, East Kalimantan Province. This concession land provides a suitable, protected, and healthy habitat for orangutans, for 60 years, with an option for extension for another 35 years. The funds to pay for the permit, approximately 1.4 million US dollars, were obtained from BOS Foundation donors from Europe and Australia.
RHOI named this concession the Kehje Sewen Forest, adopting the local Wehea Dayak language in which this means ‘orangutan’. So, the name Kehje Sewen means 'forest for orangutans'. For more information, visit www.theforestfororangutan.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Public Relations Bureau, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
U. Mamat Rahmat – +62 812 8133 1247
Head of The Ministry of Environment and Forestry East Kalimantan
M. Ari Wibawanto, S.Hut., M.Sc. – +62 813 2097 3109
Regional Program Manager, BOSF East Kalimantan
Dr. Aldrianto Priadjati – +62 811 1110 747
BOS Foundation HQ Communications
Nur Furqon Bahmid – +62 878 7472 8242
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