Orangutan Rescue: On the frontline in Sumatra

Recent Orangutan Rescues

In the last two months, we have safely evacuated 5 orangutans. Two were babies rescued from a cage and the other three were older orangutans who needed to be moved to a safer patch of forest.

The baby was a 2 year old boy. In February, the HOCRU team were called to the village of Suka Rimbun village, Ketambe sub-district, Southeast Aceh by a local resident. They interviewed a local man called Darmin and he eventually handed over a young orangutan to Aceh BKSDA in Kutacane Resort. As this orphan had always been kept in captivity, he was transferred to the SOCP rehabilitation centre in Batu M’Belin.

In March, a female orangutan was found in a local plantation in Sumber Waras sub-village, Sei Serdang village, Batang Serangan subdistrict, Langkat district of North Sumatra province. A joint team consists of OIC HOCRU team, Gunung Leuser National Park authority and North Sumatran BBKSDA worked together to move her. Based on the physical check-up, the vet found two air rifle bullets in her cheek and chest. She was estimated to be 14 years old. She was directly translocated into Leuser forest area, after having passed the health checks of the vet.

Another female was reported in Sei Musam village in Langkat, North Sumatra. The team worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Gunung Leuser National Park authority, and the North Sumatra BBKSDA. Together, they evacuated a severely injured female orangutan, age 14. She was found with broken and infected fingers as well 2 air rifle bullets within her body. The orangutan was transferred to the SOCP quarantine centre to start the rehabilitation process.

On 16^th of March 2018, team received a report from our partner organization, FKL, about an infant orangutan kept by a local resident in Peunaron village, East Aceh district. The HOCRU team visited the village and rescued an infant orangutan, age two. His condition was malnourished, so he was send to SOCP quarantine centre to undertake the rehabilitation process.

Another recent rescue was conducted on Friday, March 13^th, 2018. The joint team rescued an adult male orangutan from an oil palm plantation In Oboh village, Rundeng Sub-district of Subussalam city - Aceh province. He was found wandering around an oil palm plantation owned by local resident. Following a physical check-up, he was stated healthy and translocated to Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve on the same day. It is an indication of the progress the team is making that HOCRU were called, rather than the orangutan being shot at to frighten him off.

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In the period from August to October 2017, the orangutan rescue team confiscated three orangutans based on reports received from the local community. These were rescued in partnership with the Natural Conservation&Resources Agency, known as B/BKSDA North Sumatra. All of the confiscated orangutans were from Aceh province.

Since 2016, we have been able to set up a second HOCRU team to be based in Tapak Tuan, South Aceh regency, in Aceh province. A professional vet has now joined this team, which means they are now fully operational and able to manage human-orangutan conflicts on the west coast of Aceh (Singkil, Subulussalam, West Aceh, and Southwest Aceh). Both HOCRU teams have the same objectives, which is to help and protect both orangutans and the communities living within the orangutans' home territory. Occasionally both teams support and collaborate with each other.

The team is now expanding its activities to include regular monitoring, awareness raising,  and facilitating communities in developing local regulations (in Aceh known as qanun) at village level. These local regulations are aiming to ensure orangutan protection and Human-Orangutan Conflict (HOC) mitigation.

Since 2012 to 25th October 2017, HOCRU team has rescued 132 orangutans in which 88 of them were translocated from isolated area and 44 were confiscated from illegal owning and pet trade.

Below is the rescue data August – October 2017.

August

Illegally kept

Confiscation

East Aceh, Aceh

Male, 5

Quarantine in SOCP’s

         September

Illegally kept

Confiscation

Langsa, Aceh

Female, 4

Quarantine in SOCP’s

October

Illegally kept

Confiscation

South Aceh

Infant female, 2

Quarantine in SOCP’s

Isolated

Translocated

North Sumatra

Female, 25

Translocated

As well as helping new locals laws to be enacted, such as South Aceh's Regent Decree No. 348 of year 2017 about Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, the team have also been involved in publicising these new laws through a series of workshops, so that locals are aware of the changes and implications for them. The team know that working with local people to tackle the problem is part of the solution.

As I am writing this report, I have just seen news of a news rescue: February 155h 2018 -the HOCRU team worked together with Prof. Suci Utami and Aceh Wildlife Authority to rescue and confiscate a 2 year old orangutan baby in Suka Rimbun village, Ketambe subdistrict - Southeast Aceh district of Aceh province. The information was received from Prof. Suci who is conducting theoutreach programme for local children within the area. This orangutan baby is named Dilan and claimed to be found in a local residence, motherless. Sadly, Dilan was malnourished and stressed. He has been moved to the SOCP Rehabilitation Centre for evaluation and support. As an orphan, it's likely it will take some time for him to learn what fruit he can east and how to make a nest and climb trees. However, one day, Dilan will be able to breath the fresh air in the wild once again. 

Thank you to Syufra for providing the information for this report.

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