KESI, RUTHIE, AND NODY ENTER “UNIVERSITY”!

We are delighted to share this news with you, especially those of you who have been kind enough to have adopted Ruthie, Nody, and Kesi. These three orangutans have graduated from Forest School and are now going through the last learning phase on our pre-release island, Palas.

After the successful release of 20 orangutans into the Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest during the first quarter of this year, the rehabilitation process for orangutans in Nyaru Menteng is still ongoing and we are currently moving orangutans to pre-release islands for their last stage of the rehabilitation process. The BOS Foundation runs four stages of orangutan rehabilitation within our program: Quarantine, socialisation, pre-release, and release. The islands of Kaja, Bangamat, and Palas are three of our pre-release islands managed by the BOS Foundation in Nyaru Menteng.  They are located in the Rungan River in the area of Sei Gohong, Palangka Raya.

Palas Island basically serves as a university for the orangutans who have graduated from the Forest School. On this island, they live just like wild orangutans would in natural forest; sleeping in the open air, building nests and foraging independently.  Technicians distribute supplementary food twice a day and significantly reduce their interaction with the orangutans.

Survival skills are one of the most important criteria for deciding whether an orangutan can “level up” to pre-release island or not.  Kesi, Ruthie, and Nody have proven that they are able to live on Palas Island.
 

Taking the Orangutans to the Island

The process of moving the orangutans from Nyaru Menteng started on Tuesday March 11.  Accompanied by vet Agus Fahroni, vet Meryl Yemima Gerhanauli, vet Lia Kristian, 19 orangutans who passed their general health checks were moved to the island in several stages.

The first day, March 11, 2014 was the special day for three pairs of mother-infant orangutans: Mugi and daughter Mikhaela, Du and daughter Miyabi, and Melata and her son Melano. They are part of a group of 48 orangutans who were returned by the Thailand Government to the Indonesian Government in 2006 and ever since have been going through the different stages of rehabilitation in Nyaru Menteng.  Once the travel cage doors were opened they ran out, climbed the trees and observed the forest which will be their new home albeit temporarily.

The second Day, Wednesday March 12, was the day for Mariam (eight years) and Vista (nine years old) two female orangutans who were confiscated from West Kotawaringin Regency and East Kotawaringin.  Also in the group was Hilda (nine years old), the female orangutan who was rescued from an oil palm plantation when she was only two years old.  The three looked really enjoyed their new home on Palas Island.

The next batch were moved on the 18 and 19 March. Two male orangutans Baim (8) and Imot (8) and a female named Gaia (9) were moved to Palas Island on March 18, while three nine year old female orangutans were moved the next day: Nikita, Randang, and Hanyu.
 

Kesi, Ruthie and Nody Learn on the Island

Wednesday, March 25 was a happy day for Kesi, Ruthie, and Nody. They graduated from Forest School and now would start learning to improve the natural skills on Palas Island.

Confiscated from a resident of Lentang Batang village, Katingan Regency when she was just a four month old baby with her right hand severed, Kesi is a confident and independent orangutan. Being the first amongst the three to be released into the forest on Palas Island, Kesi looked somewhat perplexed by the transit forest that was her new home. After observing her surroundings for while, confidently she climbed a tree and enjoyed a forest fruit.

Ruthie who is now nine years old, was released second after Kesi. She was confiscated from a resident of Tangar village, East Kotawaringin who kept her illegally as a pet and often abused her, leaving her with physical and mental wounds. Now she has grown into a teenage orangutan with confidence and one of the smartest students in the Forest School. Beautiful Ruthie climbed the tree immediately after the door was opened but then she climbed down to grab some fruits off the feeding platform before climbing back up the tree. Ruthie who loved to explore the Forest School will soon explore Palas Island and find delicious fruits and other wild foods.

The young man Nody has grown into an independent and dominant orangutan at the age of nine years. He witnessed his mother’s death and survived the illegal pet trade. Thanks to the babysitters and technicians at Nyaru Menteng, Nody is now active and independent. Once  he stepped on Palas Island he climbed up a tree right away and devoured Takapas fruit.

Along with Kesi, Ruthie, and Nody, Kahim, a nine year old male orangutan also gained his chance to learn on Palas Island. Just like Nody, agile and active Kahim climbed the tree right away and started enjoying fruits he found.

Kesi, Ruthie, and Nody’s rehabilitation process would not have been possible without your support, their adopters.  We at the BOS Foundation would like to thank you for your neverending support towards the orangutan conservation efforts through our Adoption Program. They still have a long way to go before they go back to natural habitat, and we will observe their development closely on Palas Island to ensure their readiness to be released in the future. Congratulations and happy learning Kesi, Ruthie, Nody and all of the 19 orangutans, live well on Palas Island!