COP & JAAN: Mission Critical
9 August 2013 -- Orangutan Outreach partners COP and JAAN have been in a remote corner of East Kalimantan (Borneo) trying desperately to save the lives of several wild orangutans before their forest is burned down.
A few weeks ago COP learned that a palm oil company was preparing to tear down a forest in East Kalimantan that-- despite the false report to the contrary-- was home to at least half a dozen wild orangutans. Together with a team from JAAN, COP immediately set out to investigate. Sure enough they found several orangutans trapped in the doomed patch of forest-- including a mother whose infant was 'missing'. The joint team set about capturing the orangutans in order to relocate them to another area of forest far enough from where they were so that they'll be safe from harm.
These rescue missions require a lot of money-- staff, gas, equipment (medicine, dart guns), food for staff and the orangutans. Orangutan Outreach has been able to help COP and JAAN cover a lot of the basic costs, but the mission is taking longer than anticipated. The team will soon be going back into the forest to rescue and relocate the remaining orangutans.
