Ten critically endangered Bornean orangutans have been released back into the wild in the Indonesian part of Borneo, with helicopters used to transport them deep into the forest from rehabilitation centres. The operation was carried out by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) in collaboration with Indonesian conservation agencies.
Among those released was Nenuah, a 19-year-old female who had been repatriated from Thailand. The group comprised five males, a mother with two babies, and two other females. All had been in captivity before their rescue.
Denny Kurniawan, BOSF programme manager, explained that using helicopters was the best option during the pandemic. Driving to one drop-off area would have taken three days, increasing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Orangutans are known to be susceptible to human respiratory illnesses, so veterinarians wore protective suits and masks during final medical checks.
Handi Nasoka, acting head of Central Kalimantan’s conservation agency, noted that efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 have hampered many conservation activities. Some of the orangutans, including those rescued with Nenuah in 2006, have faced slow rehabilitation due to lengthy periods in captivity, finding it difficult to develop essential survival skills.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are only about 100,000 Bornean orangutans left in the wild, with more than half the population lost over the past 60 years due to illegal poaching, logging, and conversion of forests to palm oil plantations.
