A young male baby orangutan has been rescued from where he was being kept illegally in the Sayan illegal gold mining (PETI) area, Riam Dadap Village, Hulu Sungai District, Ketapang, West Kalimantan. Thanks to the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Regional Conservation Section (SKW) I Ketapang, together with the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) – the local partner of Sussex charity, International Animal Rescue (IAR)
The young orangutan, later named Randy, is estimated to be around two years old. He had reportedly been kept by a miner for approximately one month. During his captivity, Randy was confined in a cramped cage measuring just 120 x 50 x 50 cm and fed an entirely unsuitable diet of bananas, grass, bread and water.
It was claimed the baby orangutan was found alone in a forested area close to the mining site, and initially, the intention was to sell the infant, but after local residents shared the legal consequences of keeping protected wildlife, the keeper eventually reported the case to BKSDA and surrendered Randy.
As the orangutan was discovered in an illegal mining area where habitat destruction significantly increases the risk of wildlife conflict, the BKSDA West Kalimantan and YIARI acted swiftly to evacuate the young orangutan. Quick intervention was essential due to the high risk of stress, malnutrition and infectious disease in infant orangutans kept in unsuitable environments.
The preliminary examination was carried out by YIARI veterinarian drh. Ishma, who accompanied the rescue team, who said:
“Overall, Randy is in quite good condition, but we found a fracture on his left thigh that has started to heal, possibly because this injury occurred more than four weeks ago. This indicates that before being kept, he likely experienced a fairly serious traumatic event,” she explained.
Following his rescue, Randy was transported to YIARI’s specialist rehabilitation centre in Sungai Awan Kiri Village for further treatment. This will include additional assessment of his leg injury and an eight-week quarantine period with comprehensive health screening to ensure he is free from infectious diseases that could pose a risk to the other orangutans at the centre.
The illegal capture and keeping of protected wildlife continues to occur in Ketapang Regency, particularly in remote areas. In almost all such cases, the mother orangutan is presumed dead. In the wild, infants remain with their mothers for six to eight years and rely entirely on them for survival. A baby found alone has almost certainly been taken forcibly after its mother was killed.
Silverius Oscar Unggul, Chairman of YIARI, expressed deep concern:
“Cases like this aren’t just about breaking the law for keeping protected animals. What’s far more distressing is the fact that the mother of this baby orangutan has almost certainly been killed. Areas under pressure from illegal mining activities are often hotspots for poaching and wildlife conflict. The loss of forest cover and increased human movement create greater opportunities for poachers to encounter, chase, and take baby orangutans from their mothers. Illegal activities like illegal mining not only destroy habitat but also exacerbate the already severe pressure on orangutan populations. Every time a case like this occurs, the wild orangutan population loses two individuals at once. Because orangutans have a slow reproductive rate, this is a serious blow to long-term conservation efforts. On the other hand, we appreciate the community’s willingness to hand over Randy. Public awareness in reporting and handing over protected animals is a real contribution to orangutan conservation efforts.”
Murlan Dameria Pane, Head of BKSDA West Kalimantan, also thanked local community members who helped bring the case to light:
“First of all, we would like to thank the community who has provided information on the existence of orangutans or other protected wild animals so that we can rescue them. Orangutan habitat has been fragmented and pressured due to various human activities, so cooperation from all parties is needed to save wild animals so that we can maintain their sustainability. Hopefully Randy, who is only 2 years old, will soon recover from his health and trauma so that he can grow and develop well and there will be no more violence against orangutans and other wild animals,” he concluded.
Please support Randy’s recovery by donating to our orphaned orangutans appeal: https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/appeal/orphaned-orangutans