The West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), together with the Gunung Palung National Park Agency (TANAGUPA) and the Indonesian Rehabilitation Nature Initiative Foundation (YIARI) released an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus ) in Gunung Palung National Park, Sungai Laur District, Ketapang Regency on Thursday, 14 November 2024.
This 6-year-old female orangutan was previously rescued from a human-orangutan conflict case by a joint team from the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) of the West Kalimantan BKSDA, Balai TANAGUPA and YIARI in one of the gardens owned by a resident in Riam Berasap Village on July 10, 2024. Marisa was rescued after her mother was found dead in the resident’s garden. Based on the results of the necropsy by the YIARI medical team, the death of her mother is suspected to have been caused by an infection due to a fairly deep wound on her back. Meanwhile, Marisa was also found with a severe wound on her right leg. This wound is suspected to have been caused by a sharp weapon.
Seeing Marisa’s injured condition, the West Kalimantan BKSDA decided to entrust the baby orangutan to the YIARI Orangutan Rescue Centre in Sungai Awan Kiri Village, Ketapang Regency for further examination and treatment. After four months of intensive care under the supervision of the medical team and animal nurses at the YIARI orangutan rehabilitation centre, Marisa was declared recovered and ready to be returned to her safer natural habitat.
YIARI medical team coordinator, Fina Fadiah, confirmed that Marisa’s wounds have healed and she can be returned to her habitat soon. “Currently, Marisa’s wounds have healed and after conducting a series of examinations, we are sure that it is time for Marisa to be returned to her habitat. When she was rescued, the wound on her leg was quite severe. There was an open fracture that was already infected and festering. The wound on her right leg was also quite deep and penetrated the muscles and bones. Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of the entire team, her wounds have now healed and Marisa is ready to be returned to TANAGUPA,” she explained. She also explained that this recovery does not only focus on the physical, but also on her mental health. “We are treating Marisa while still paying attention to the principles of animal welfare. We are trying to reduce her stress by minimising direct contact with Marisa,” added Fina.
To prevent similar conflicts from happening again, the orangutan was released in an area far from settlements and community gardens. TANAGUPA was chosen as the release site because based on the location of her rescue, Marisa is estimated to have come from the area around the TANAGUPA border. In addition, the Daung Sandar Resort is also considered quite good, because based on the results of a survey conducted by the TANAGUPA Centre and YIARI, the amount and type of food are still quite high. The status of the area as a National Park also guarantees Marisa’s safety in the future. This location is surrounded by rivers that can be a natural barrier to prevent orangutans from returning to community gardens.
After a 6-hour journey from the YIARI orangutan rehabilitation centre, the team successfully arrived at the release point. Marisa was released in the TANAGUPA area. This success certainly cannot be separated from the support of the community who helped bring the orangutan into the national park area.
YIARI General Chairperson, Silverius Oscar Unggul, expressed his appreciation for the collaboration between the government, Non-profit Organisations (NGOs), and the community in efforts to preserve orangutans and their habitat. Silverius emphasised the importance of a shared role in maintaining this sustainability. “We invite all stakeholders, especially the community, to be at the forefront of wildlife conservation efforts, especially orangutans and their habitat. The discovery of orangutans in the community’s garden area is a reminder of the importance of strengthening cooperation, especially with communities living around orangutan habitat areas. If communities living on the border of orangutan habitat can live harmoniously side by side, orangutans can be maintained and can be enjoyed by future generations.”
“This is in line with YIARI’s vision to create a world where humans and animals live side by side in a healthy ecosystem. This also supports the direction of the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, in his speech at the handover ceremony of the Minister of Forestry who emphasised that we all have the spirit of how to maintain the balance of life with nature,” he concluded.
Head of TANAGUPA Centre, Himawan Sasongko said: “The release of this infant orangutan is a form of new hope after losing its mother due to conflict with humans. We are committed to ensuring that it can live independently in its natural habitat. And it is our shared responsibility to replace the role of the mother orangutan by ensuring the recovery of physical and psychological health as well as behaviour in the rehabilitation centre and then providing a place to live that can guarantee its survival, but what needs to be remembered is that no matter how great and advanced our knowledge is, we will never, once again never be able to replace the affection of its mother in nature. Through this release effort, we hope that the infant orangutan can rediscover a new life in its natural habitat and become a symbol of the importance of harmony between humans and wildlife.”