SAMBOJA LESTARI 19th ORANGUTAN RELEASE CANDIDATE PROFILES

1. LAILA
Laila came from the Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta and was handed over to the BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre on 18 March 2001. She was just five years old when she arrived at the centre, but she was too aggressive to join Forest School. Instead, after completing the mandatory quarantine for all new orangutans, Laila was placed in the Socialisation Complex, and successfully completed the rehabilitation process in 2018.

During her 17 years of rehabilitation, Laila developed sound survival and foraging skills. Now, aged 23 years, Laila is ready to explore her new home and experience freedom in the Kehje Sewen Forest.

2. LITO
Lito was rescued from a local resident of Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on 3 March 1998, when he was about five years old. The local resident claimed to have found him roaming a field alone in Sangatta area.

Upon his arrival at Samboja Lestari, Lito exhibited wild behaviour, but was unfortunately found to be suffering from hepatitis B. He immediately underwent treatment at the quarantine facility and was subsequently placed in a special socialisation cage to recover and begin his rehabilitation. A few years later, Lito had recovered from hepatitis B and was becoming a very independent orangutan who firmly disliked human presence. He had also developed comprehensive foraging and nest-building skills.

After 21 years of building his survival skills at BOSF Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Lito, now 26, is ready to embrace true freedom in the Kehje Sewen Forest of East Kalimantan.