FIRST RELEASE FOR 2018 TO CELEBRATE WORLD ONE MILLION TREE DAY

Continuing on with the #OrangutanFreedom campaign - with the target of releasing as many orangutans as possible to natural forests and to pre-release islands, since 2017 - as well as commemorating World One Million Tree Day, the BOS Foundation together with the Central Kalimantan BKSDA and the BBBR-NP office will today release four more orangutans from the BOSF Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Center to the BBBR-NP forest in Katingan District. 

The four orangutans include two males and two females, who will be transported over land and river in a 10-12-hour journey from Nyaru Menteng to predetermined points in the BBBR-NP.

DR. IR. JAMARTIN SIHITE, BOS Foundation CEO, said; «These four orangutans are ready to taste life in the wild, and delaying their release to wait for others to join them would not be a wise choice. We still have hundreds of orangutans waiting at our rehabilitation center in Nyaru Menteng. To accelerate the release process, we have prepared a number of pre-release islands to help orangutans become familiar with environments that resemble natural, wild forests. And to continue our #OrangutanFreedom campaign, this year we have set a target to release at least 200 orangutans to either pre-release islands, sanctuaries, or wild forests.

Please bear in mind that the rehabilitation process takes years to accomplish. Orangutans are not a species that we can simply release to the forest; it takes a long time for them to hone the vital skills they need to survive in the wild. Not only does it take time, but it is also costly. We can only succeed at conserving orangutans and their habitats if we work together. It is not something we can do alone. Protected by law, orangutans are the closest human relatives, and they play an important role in regenerating forests. We are compelled to work hard toward preserving this extraordinary species, as sustainable and protected forests are instrumental in sustaining a good quality of life for all. In the new year, let's move forward with new hope.»

IR. ADIB GUNAWAN, Head of the Central Kalimantan BKSDA, said; «We need to push forward with all efforts to release orangutans back to their natural habitats, because there are still hundreds of orangutans waiting in the rehabilitation centers. In marking World One Million Tree Day, the Central Kalimantan BKSDA, in cooperation with the BOS Foundation, the BBBR-NP office, and USAID Lestari, will again release orangutans from Nyaru Menteng to the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in Katingan Regency. We fully welcome this cooperative effort.

As the orangutan conservation strategy and action plan stipulates - ‘ensuring the sustainability of the orangutan population and its habitats through partnership of the parties’ - we need to collectively continue to protect habitats and wildlife by involving all parties, including the community around the forest area.»