ORANGUTAN WARRIOR #2 – IMAM GHOZALI

Today, we would like to share another story about one of our orangutan warriors from the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in East Kalimantan. This tough man has dedicated his life to the orangutans at our centre, which was established back in the early 90s. 

Imam Ghozali was born in Lumajang, East Java, on August 27, 1970. He is fondly known as ‘Pak Cik’ among his work colleagues, and is the coordinator of Forest School 2 and our pre-release islands in Samboja Lestari. He is responsible for all the babysitters and technicians in Forest School 2, where juvenile orangutans learn basic survival skills, and for the care and upkeep of our manmade orangutan islands, where orangutans undertake the final stage of rehabilitation prior to being released.

In 1997, Pak Cik decided to leave his hometown of Lumajang in search of work in Kalimantan. When he arrived in East Kalimantan, he was immediately offered a job at the BOS Foundation, which at the time was still located in Wanariset Samboja. His first experience on the job involved participating in the first-ever orangutan release in the Gunung Beratus Protection Forest, in West Kutai Regency. Before that moment, he had had zero experience interacting with orangutans!

After leaving the foundation for a time, Pak Cik re-joined to our team in 1999. This time, he spent two years working in the herbarium, where he learned about orangutan food and how to identify samples in the forest.

Following his time in the herbarium, Pak Cik  worked as a technician in the orangutan care complex. There, he grew even closer to the orangutans in his care. Many years of working with hundreds of orangutans have led him to his current position as the coordinator of Forest School 2 and our pre-release islands. This position also involves supervising the team responsible for orangutan observations in Forest School 2 and on the islands. The observational data that this team collects is what determines which orangutans will advance to the next stage of rehabilitation, and who will next be ultimately released in the forest. 

Read also: ORANGUTAN WARRIOR #1 – HANNI 

According to Pak Cik, from his many experiences working for the BOS Foundation over the years, the most exciting experience was when he and his team had to move a large adult orangutan. The weight and fitness of each individual orangutan largely determines how long the anaesthesia will work for. But on this memorable occasion, an adult orangutan suddenly awoke from the anaesthesia before they had reached the intended destination. In this instance, fast, careful work was required. Pak Cik used his experience and leadership to guide his team members and prevent panic while they quickly and safely placed the waking orangutan in the cage. The job can be risky at times, Pak Cik admits, so he always makes it his priority to remind his fellow colleagues to take extra care, and to conduct their work in the most professional manner possible.

As our most senior technician with more than 20 years of experience under his belt, Pak Cik cares deeply for the rehabilitation centre and reforestation project on the 1,800-hectares of land in Samboja Lestari. He hopes that it can be maintained without disturbance, despite the number of mines and plantations in the surrounding areas. He wants the forests that exist today to be enjoyed by future generations and to continue their role in maintaining the earth’s balance. 

"I hope that every orangutan at Samboja Lestari will someday be released, but we have to admit that there are some who will not get that chance. Hopefully we can build more islands for all of the ‘un-releasable’ orangutans here in Samboja Lestari."
Pak Cik is convinced that the diversity of plant species found in Samboja Lestari is more than adequate to support and feed orangutans. He is certain that the ‘un-releasable’ orangutans can still enjoy freedom on manmade islands, similar to the ones that are already being utilised.