Six More Orangutans Get Their Freedom in the Kehje Sewen Forest!

In cooperation with PT. RHOI and the East Kalimantan BKSDA, the BOS Foundation has successfully released six more orangutans to the Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kutai Regency. All six released orangutans had completed a long period of rehabilitation over several years through our Forest School system.

At the BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari centre, the orangutan release candidates – Reckie, Justin, Ung, Robert, Heli and Tree – were sedated one by one ahead of their trip to #OrangutanFreedom in the Kehje Sewen Forest. After being sedated, all six were placed into cages, which were then loaded onto transportation vehicles ready to depart.

The six orangutans departed from Samboja Lestari on April 25, and traveled directly to the Kehje Sewen Forest. Our team followed strict protocols throughout the 20-hour road trip, stopping every two hours to check on the orangutans and provide them with food and water.

The team reached Muara Wahau the following day and from there continued on for another four hours until reaching a point 200 meters from the banks of the Telen River – the last point accessible by vehicle. The team then carried the transport cages down to the river bank and moved them across to the other side of the river using a ces (small boat). Once they reached the other side, the cages were loaded onto two waiting utility vehicles that would carry them to the release points deep in the southern part of the Kehje Sewen Forest.

  
               Justin released                                                           Heli released

On April 26, at 14.21 pm local time, the six orangutans were finally given their freedom. The release of these six brings the total number of orangutans released by the BOS Foundation to the Kehje Sewen since 2012 to 68, and a total of 276released to natural habitats from both the Samboja Lestari and Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation centres.