Forest Freedom: BOS Foundation Releases 6 More Orangutans from Samboja Lestari
Text by: BOS Foundation Communications Team
August 31, 2018 — On August 28, 2018, the BOS Foundation released six more orangutans from the Samboja Lestari Rehabilitation and Reintroduction Centre to the Kehje Sewen Forest, in East Kalimantan. With this release, we also welcome International Primate Day, which falls annually on September 1.
Meet the Orangutans!
1. MADS
Mads was handed over from the Tenggarong BKSDA to the BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre staff on December 6, 2011. He was just 11 months old at the time and had been confiscated from a villager in Muara Wahau, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan.
Mads joined Forest School shortly after his rescue, and in early 2018 was moved to Island 8 to begin the pre-release stage of his rehabilitation journey. After many years of hard work, Mads has grown into a self-reliant and curious individual. He is smart and likes to explore the forest, where he is highly skilled at foraging for natural food.
Mads is now 8 years old and weighs 31 kilograms. Armed with the skills he has acquired during his years of rehabilitation, Mads is now ready to taste true freedom in the Kehje Sewen Forest.
2. MENUR
Menur was handed over to BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre on October 16, 2012, by the Tenggarong BKSDA. She was about five years old at the time and had been confiscated from a private zoo in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.
After passing a period of quarantine, Menur entered Forest School to learn and hone her survival skills. In 2017, Menur continued to the pre-release stage on Juq Kehje Swen Island in Muara Wahau Regency. During her time on the island, Menur displayed relatively good nest-building and foraging skills.
Menur is now 11 years old and weighs 25 kilograms. With a solid skillset built up after years of rehabilitation, Menur is now ready to live freely and thrive in the Kehje Sewen Forest.
3. JOSTA
Josta arrived at BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre on March 7, 2009, when she was just two years old. She had been kept illegally as a pet by a local resident from Sebulu Sub-District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan. The resident claimed to have found Josta wandering alone on his farm about a week prior to this, and took her in.
After completing quarantine, Josta joined Forest School in 2010 and grew to become an independent orangutan. By 2017, she had completed all stages of Forest School and advanced to the pre-release stage on Juq Kehje Swen Island, where she became a good forager.
Now 11 years old and weighing 34 kg, Josta will soon head to her new home in the wilds of the Kehje Sewen Forest.
4. RIVA
Riva was handed over to the BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre staff on March 7, 2013, by the Tenggarong BKSDA when he was two years old. He was found by a local resident from West Bontang Sub District, East Kalimantan, and had been held captive for four months.
Following quarantine, Riva joined Forest School in the same year and worked hard to successfully complete all stages. He grew into an independent orangutan with strong instincts, and quickly learned to avoid humans. During his time in Forest School, Riva spent most of his time up in the trees exploring the forest and foraging for natural food.
Riva is now 7 years old and weighs 24 kilograms. With a sound skillset and wild behaviours, Riva will soon be enjoying new adventures in the Kehje Sewen Forest.
5. BIEBER
Bieber was handed over by the Balikpapan BKSDA to BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre on December 6, 2013. He was rescued from a local resident in Balikpapan at the age of two. The resident in question claimed to have bought Bieber from a person in Sangkulirang, East Kutai, and had been keeping him as a pet for six months.
Following quarantine, Bieber worked through the stages of Forest School and completed the last level this year. He is known to be quite social and friendly toward other orangutans, but firmly dislikes humans. Bieber’s wild behaviours and well-honed natural skills have seen him make the candidate list for this release.
Now 7 years old and weighing 29 kilograms, Bieber is ready to roam in his new home, the Kehje Sewen Forest.
6. RESTU
Restu was handed over by the Tenggarong BKSDA to BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre staff on October 10, 2014. He was rescued from a local resident of Pampang, Samarinda, East Kalimantan at the age of two. The resident claimed to have found him stranded alone in a rubber plantation.
From the day he arrived, Restu consistently displayed independent behaviours and a firm dislike for human presence. After completing quarantine, Restu joined the Nursery Group and progressed through all stages of rehabilitation in Forest School. He has grown into a very mobile orangutan with an exceptional range and sound foraging skills; rarely showing up during food-distribution time.
Restu, now 6 years old and weighing 27 kilograms, is more than ready to embrace a new life in the forests of the Kehje Sewen.
The Release
Text by: BOS Foundation Communications Team
Two separate groups were dispatched for this 17th release: The first group departed on August 27 from Samboja Lestari and included four male orangutans (Mads, Riva, Bieber and Restu), while the second group left the very next day from pre-release Juq Kehje Swen Island in Muara Wahau and included two females (Josta and Menur).
Preparing the first group
After sedating the first group of release candidates, our team carefully moved each orangutan into a transport cage and then loaded them onto 4×4 vehicles. The team departed from Samboja Lestari and headed to Dermaga 67, located approximately 200 meters from the banks of the Telen River and the last point accessible by vehicle. The first departure group travelled for 17 hours, making stops every two hours to check on the orangutans and provide them with food and water.
After sedating orangutans are carefully transferred into transport cages
On the road from Samboja Lestari to the Kehje Sewen Forest
The second group is ready to leave
On the morning of August 28, the second group – carrying release candidates Josta and Menur – departed from Juq Kehje Swen Island and travelled for three hours to Dermaga 67.
Once the team arrived, the transport cages were carried down to the river bank and transported across to the other side using a small ‘ces’ boat. After reaching the other side, the cages were then loaded onto the utility vehicles that would carry them to release points in the southern part of the Kehje Sewen Forest.
Transport cages are carried to the release points
Six Orangutans finally return home to forest!
Both teams had made it to the predetermined release location by around noon, and all six orangutans were finally released back to their natural forest home.
As the youngest among the candidates, Restu’s cage was opened first. He slowly exited the cage and headed toward a tree directly opposite the doorway, but then grabbed hold of some liana instead. After climbing up a bit, he stopped to sit down and look around. He scanned his new surroundings with a somewhat bewildered look on his face, as though not quite believing he had returned to the forest. He then continued to climb up, and happily settled in the forest canopy.
Restu
After Restu had been safely released, it was then Riva’s turn. Unlike Restu, Riva was not confused at all. He made a beeline for the nearest tree and climbed straight up into the forest canopy. There, he took a well-earned rest on a comfortable branch after his long and tiring journey. Without wasting time, the four remaining orangutans were also released to the forest. All four were soon climbing the trees and enjoying their newfound freedom.
Riva
After the last transport cage was opened, the Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team quickly took over, carefully observing and documenting the released orangutans’ activities. The PRM team will conduct a 30-day, nest-to-nest monitoring period to ensure all six orangutans are adapting well to their new lives in the forest.
With the release of these six orangutans, the BOS Foundation has thus far released 97 orangutans to the Kehje Sewen Forest since 2012. This brings the total number of orangutans released by the BOS Foundation to natural habitats to 374, from both Samboja Lestari and Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centres.
The Orangutans Need Your Help!
Please make a donation to the BOS Foundation today!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! {:(|}
The BOS Samboja Lestari Release Team
