In celebration of World Orangutan Day, observed annually on 19 August, the Natural Resources Conservation Agencies (BKSDA) of Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan, together with their strategic partner, the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation, reaffirm their joint commitment to law enforcement, rehabilitation, and the protection of orangutans in Indonesia.
As an umbrella species, orangutans play a vital role in maintaining the balance of tropical forest ecosystems. Unfortunately, they continue to face threats from poaching, illegal trade, and habitat loss caused by human activity. Through cross-sector collaboration, stakeholders are working to address these conservation challenges comprehensively.
ANDI MUHAMMAD KADHAFI, S.HUT., M.SI., HEAD OF BKSDA CENTRAL KALIMANTAN, stated “Collaboration and participation from all stakeholders are the key to orangutan conservation. We actively conduct educational and social outreach programs to engage communities across Central Kalimantan, with the hope of fostering greater public awareness of the orangutan’s vital ecological role.
Our collaboration with partners such as the BOS Foundation includes the handling of orangutans repatriated from abroad. Together, we work to receive and rehabilitate individuals who were once victims of international wildlife trade before they can be released back into their natural habitat. We also address negative human–orangutan interactions through coordinated responses”.
M. ARI WIBAWANTO, S.HUT., M.SC., HEAD OF BKSDA EAST KALIMANTAN, added “A long-term conservation strategy is critical to ensuring the survival of orangutans, particularly in East Kalimantan, where development pressures and habitat degradation are significant. Our focus includes strengthening conservation areas through the establishment of wildlife corridors, restoring critical habitats, and addressing human–orangutan conflicts in forest-edge communities.
Our partnership with the BOS Foundation has been instrumental in rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing orangutans into safe habitats, as well as in building technical capacity on the ground. This collaboration allows us to implement conservation efforts in a more adaptive, measurable, and sustainable way”.
DR. IR. JAMARTIN SIHITE, M.SC., CEO OF THE BOS FOUNDATION, emphasized “So far in 2025, the BOS Foundation, together with BKSDA Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan, has successfully rescued 9 young orangutans from various locations in Kalimantan. These individuals are now undergoing rehabilitation at our two centers. Most of them were previously kept as pets, highlighting the scale of the challenges we face.
Rehabilitation is not merely about care; it is a process of restoring life. Most orangutans under our care are victims of human–wildlife conflict, loss of their mothers, or the illegal wildlife trade. They must undergo lengthy and structured rehabilitation before they are ready to return to the wild. To date, more than 300 orangutans are still waiting for their turn, while over 380 individuals have been successfully released back into the wild over the last decade through our close collaboration with BKSDA Central and East Kalimantan.
This strategic partnership with BKSDA forms the foundation of our conservation success. And in this month of celebrating orangutans, we are reminded that it is time for us to stand as guardians. There must be no more stories of orangutans being traded or treated as commodities. They deserve to live wild and free in their rightful home, the forests of Indonesia”.
World Orangutan Day serves as a call to action for all stakeholders to strengthen their commitment to safeguarding orangutans and their habitats. Collaboration between government, communities, conservation partners such as the BOS Foundation, and the private sector is essential to ensuring a brighter future for Indonesia’s iconic species.
The BOS Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to our global partners, including BOS Australia, BOS Germany, BOS New Zealand, BOS Switzerland, BOS UK, BOS USA, BOS France, BOS Japan, and Save the Orangutan, as well as to our supporters worldwide such as Orangutan Outreach. We are also immensely grateful to individual donors across the globe, whose generosity enables our ongoing efforts to protect orangutans and preserve their habitats.
*Photos and video materials can be downloaded from the following Google Drive link: [here]
Editors Note :
ABOUT THE BOS FOUNDATION
Founded in 1991, the BOS Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the Bornean orangutan and its habitat, working in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, local communities, and international partner organizations.
In addition to conducting activities in habitat conservation, sustainable community development, and environmental education, the BOS Foundation currently cares for more than 300 orangutans at its two rehabilitation centers. This work is made possible by over 400 dedicated staff members and experts in primatology, biodiversity, ecology, forest restoration, agroforestry, community empowerment, communications, education, and orangutan health. For more information, visit www.orangutan.or.id.
In collaboration with the Central and East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agencies (BKSDA), the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation has released 12 more orangutans from its two rehabilitation centres: Nyaru Menteng in Central Kalima
Building on previous success in releasing 44 Central Kalimantan orangutans during 2012 and in commemoration of Valentine’s Day 2013, the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation releases a further 20 orangutans from Nyaru Menteng as a tribute of...
The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation and the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) are conducting a fourth release for 2019 in the Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. Four orangutans will be rele
