Orangutan Stories: Batuah

In our latest remarkable orangutan rescue, we’re reminded not only of the challenges facing this critically endangered species, but also the dangers imposed on our wildlife rescue team. Everything doesn’t always go to plan:

Wildlife rescues can be dangerous for both animals and humans

Many residents of the small village of Batuah in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, rely on farming as a source of food and revenue. Situated on the outskirts of Sampit, the largest town in the area, Batuah sits beside tropical forest and is therefore frequented by wildlife from time to time.

Over the past year or so, one villager had been keeping his eye on a male orangutan that seems to reside in the forest nearby. That was until recently when the primate was seen a few days in a row in their orchards eating pineapples and jackfruit. To avoid a potentially hazardous encounter, it was time for government officials BKSDA and Orangutan Foundation’s rescue team to swing into action.

Villagers gather as our vet helps the orangutan

Arriving at the scene, our team could see that they might have a struggle on their hands. Although the orangutan showed no aggression, he was clearly a large and imposing figure, and surrounded by many villagers. For his safety he needed to be tranquilized and translocated to an area where he could roam freely.

Carefully the 55kg male was darted, captured safely in a net, and given a brief once over by our vet. It needed the help of some local people to lift the orangutan and get him into his transport crate. At first sight he had many cuts on his feet, most likely from sharp rattan and rubber trees in the plantation, but more worrying were the number of bullet wounds found on his skin. It’s unclear whether these came from residents of the village or further afield, but before he could be released into the wild, we would need to investigate the great ape’s injuries in more detail without so many people around.

The orangutan goes under the knife

The orangutan was given the name Batuah, after the village, and transported to offices in Pangkalan Bun for inspection. Unfortunately, eight rifle-pellets were found still lodged in Batuah’s skin so he would require minor surgery before being eligible for release.

For his operation, Batuah received an anaesthesia injection to send him to sleep but the large male was still moving while being taken to the surgery table. Carrying out treatment on such a powerful animal is extremely dangerous if they’re not completely anaesthetised so a second half-dose was required to make sure Batuah wouldn’t feel a thing. One, two, and then three pellets were successfully removed without incident, until our vet noticed something- Batuah was starting to move again!

For the safety of everyone involved, the team made the quick decision to end the surgery there and then. Batuah was hurriedly moved back into his transport crate where he could wake up in peace, and thankfully it appeared that the remaining pellets in his skin were not causing any pain or limits to his movement. With another day to gather his strength and recover from his surgery, the great ape would soon be ready to go back to the wild.

Batuah is taken by boat to a safe haven

The next day our team carried Batuah in his travel crate onto a speed boat and took him upriver into the safety of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. They were thrilled to see him dart out of his cage on his release and then sprint up into the forest canopy, safe and free. In his new home, Batuah can roam in confidence without the need to take food from plantations as if he’d never left the forest.

His story is one that perfectly summarises the challenges facing most orangutans in the wild today. The growth of human activity must expand into something, and in many places, it encroaches into forests which in turn leads to more human-wildlife interactions and conflict. The fact that Batuah can now survive in a protected habitat makes him one of the lucky ones, but as our towns and farmlands continue to expand, the number of rescues required will only increase.

In fact as we go to print, we’ve received news that a gibbon has also been rescued from a nearby village having been kept as a pet for seven years. It’s hoped this primate will also be released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Wild orangutan rescued with severe injuries

On Saturday 30th November, our field team received an all too familiar report. Government officials BKSDA had alerted the team that an orangutan had been found with possible injuries by residents in an area adjacent to an oil palm plantation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

Arriving at 9pm later that evening following a long journey to the reported site, our rescue team were met by the sound of dogs barking in the distance. They were alerted to the location of the great ape by one of these dogs who was owned by a local employee of the nearby oil palm plantation.

The orangutan is found on the ground before being sedated

On first sight of the orangutan, it was upsetting for our team to see that it was in a great deal of distress. Unlike the majority of orangutan rescues, it was unusual to see that this individual was not in a tree but instead on the ground.

Identified as a male orangutan, who when approached could only move a short distance along the ground due to his very weak state. After spotting multiple injuries on his body, our vet Dr Dimas and the team wasted no time in sedating the male and transporting him to a safer location where he could be examined thoroughly.

Dr Dimas prepares medication for the male orangutan

Weighting around 75kg and at an estimated 25 years of age. The most horrifying of his injuries was a large laceration to his left eye- an injury which will have blinded him.

Once sedated, rescue teams can begin examining the male

Clearly the orangutan had been shot in the past as multiple rifle pellets were found embedded in the skin; in both cheeks, the hip, and in the back of the neck. Sadly a further two larger pellets were also discovered in his left elbow which could have fractured or broken the bones in his arm on impact. Vitamin and antibiotic injections were administered to help fight infection

The orangutan receives a thorough medical examination

The poor condition of the orangutan’s wounds indicted that his injuries may have been made just a few days beforehand. It’s distressing to see that after all this time, incidents of human-wildlife conflict continue to occur.

In collaboration with BKSDA government officials, our team will continue to closely monitor the progress of this unfortunate male at a facility where he can receive essential medical attention. It’s disheartening for the team to witness this individual in such a horrifying condition.

Mother and baby orangutan rescued and reunited

Following on from the 6 individuals who have been rescued and translocated since mid-July, Orangutan Foundation staff in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo were alerted to yet another emergency earlier this month.

Reports from BKSDA government officials suggested that an orangutan had been found by a group of villagers who had discovered the great ape when it ventured into an area of community plantations- quite possibly searching for food as a result of the remnant fires that have blotted the region in recent weeks.

On arrival, our team were able to observe that the orangutan was a female who had already been independently captured by the local people and put inside a transport crate. Explaining that this action should only be conducted by trained personnel, Orangutan Foundation staff then began their journey back to base with the orangutan in toe. However as our team were to soon find out, this was not the end to this orangutan’s story.

Shortly after the rescue our team received a worrying piece of news. It transpired that during the capture of the female orangutan, she had also been separated from a young infant that local residents wished to keep as a pet. Fortunately however, Orangutan Foundation and BKSDA officials were again on hand to rescue the orangutan baby from the community and reunite it with its mother.

Our vet was very pleased to see both orangutans in good health following medical examinations and observe the infant immediately feeding once reunited the mother. The 16-year-old female who had been given the name Kina, appeared to be very active as she breastfed Kino, her 2-month-old son.

Kina is anesthetised and undoes her medical examination

A few days after their initial rescue, our team were so relieved to see Kina and Kino immediately take to their new forest at the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve as they quickly climbed out of their transport cage into the trees. It’s always an uplifting experience for us to release orangutans back into the wild where they belong, and then for them to behave as if they’d never left.

On the other hand however, it is a concern that today we are still seeing orangutans in need of rescue, and perhaps more worryingly that some local communities remain keen on keeping these great apes as pets.

Kina and Kino race out of their transport crate into the protected Lamandau Wildlife Reserve

Caged for 7 years. Young orangutan kept as a pet is finally offered a lifeline

It’s never a phone call we wish to receive, but in the same week that our team rescued a pair of wild orangutans from an isolated oil palm plantation, we received news of another orangutan being kept as a pet also in need of rescue. The owner had contacted government officials as they could no longer care for the ape, and therefore Orangutan Foundation staff were called upon to assist.

Arriving at the property where the orangutan was being kept in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, it quickly became apparent that the individual had been kept there a very long time. Our team tentatively approached a wooden crate with litter strewn on the ground surrounding it.

The orangutan had been named Pegi by her owner. It transpired that Pegi was a female orangutan found as a 1-year-old in 2012 and incredibly had been living in her cramped wooden crate as a pet for the following 7 years on a diet of rice, noodles, fruit and sugary drinks. Certainly not a diet suitable for orangutans.

After obtaining as much information about the young orangutan as possible and informing the owner of the prohibitions around keeping wild animals’ captive, our team freed Pegi from her cage and transported her to a government facility (BKSDA) where her health could be inspected.

Fortunately under examination Pegi seemed in good health, and as her blood tests received the all-clear, she was ready to be taken to her new home at Camp Buluh in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. It’s here that she’ll join another orphaned orangutan, Okto, in our soft-release programme, with the hope of one day being released into the wild.

The early years of any orangutan’s life are the most important in order to learn how to survive in the wild. With Pegi’s traumatic start to her young life, and perhaps never even climbing a tree before, she will need encouragement to learn these skills in the best possible training ground there is- the forest.

Pegi is given some browse as a form of enrichment

Orangutans rescued from oil palm plantation marks International Orangutan Day

While people around the world celebrated the red ape this week, our team have had a busy few days spent rescuing orangutans in need. To go behind the scenes and understand some of the challenges still facing orangutans, our team in the field have put together a timeline of our most recent orangutan rescue:

Orangutans high in the canopy

Mother and infant climb higher into the trees

Friday morning- It was reported to government officers this week that an orangutan had been spotted within a community oil palm plantation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Once the location had been determined, our orangutan rescue team were then called upon to assist.

Friday 11:45am - On arrival, a female orangutan was observed with an infant in an isolated copse of trees, entirely surrounded by oil palm plantation. With the dimensions of this tiny patch of fragmented forest being a mere 10x20 metre area, and any suitable nearby forest considered too far away for the pair to travel, a decision was made to rescue them from this remote island of trees for their safety. In practice however, the strong winds and height of the trees made tranquilising the female a very difficult task, and it wasn’t until several hours later that the pair were finally safely brought down from the canopy.

Oil palm plantation completely encompass the pair and their small fragment of forest

Friday 6pm - With the light beginning to fade, and the female orangutan under sedation, it was the role of the veterinary team to perform a quick physical examination to check the health of the pair. Under initial inspection, it was observed that they were in relatively good health except the mother had several air rifle pellets embedded in her skin, and therefore required further attention. As the night drew closer, the pair were then carefully transported to a temporary facility for them to rest.

Sunday evening - In honour of Indonesian Independence Day on the Friday, the 16-year-old female orangutan had been called Augustine, and her young, who had been identified as a 2 or 3-year-old male, named Augusta. They had both rested and recuperated from their rescue, and now our team were required to act fast to try and observe the number and severity of Augustine’s gun pellet injuries.

Sunday 9pm - In order to monitor the number and location of the bullets in Augustine’s skin, she was taken along with Augusta to a nearby public hospital so that she could be X-rayed. After being safely anesthetised, she was found to have 7 air rifle pellets lodged in her skin.

Sunday 10:15pm - It was at this point that our veterinary team, alongside government officials, began the minor surgical procedure of removing as many bullets as possible from Augustine. The delicate operation was able to remove 5 of the pellets, with a further 2 too deeply embedded into her tissue to be able to safely extract. Fortunately, Augustine appeared to come out of the hour and 15 minute procedure in good health.

Air rifle pellets removed from Augustine’s skin

Monday 2pm - As the previous evening’s medical procedure had run so smoothly, the following day after a final check-up from our team, Augustine and Augusta were given the all clear to be released back into the wild. A safe area within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve was selected as an ideal relocation site as this region is protected by Orangutan Foundation guard posts, and after a short boat ride, the pair were happily released into the forest. Once their transport cage was opened, our team were able to catch a quick glimpse of the orangutans before climbing into the nearby trees.

Augustine and Augusta are resealed safely into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve

It’s encouraging to know that Augustine and Augusta will now be able to thrive in their new protected habitat. However, witnessing these orangutans initially stranded in the last remaining forest due to habitat loss, shows hows orangutans remain under threat and that the work of the Orangutan Foundation is still needed.

To find out how you can become a Guardian of Lamandau and protect Augustine and Augusta’s new home, please explore our website.

Two rescued orangutans returned to the wild

Two critically endangered orangutans are now back in the wild, where they belong, thanks to the dedicated work of the Orangutan Foundation’s team and the Natural Resources Conservancy Agency of Central Kalimantan (BKSDA).

Both orangutans were wild born but tragically ended up orphaned and rescued by Orangutan Foundation. Shifa was rescued from being kept as a pet in September 2016, when she was only 2-years-old. Panglima, was rescued at the end of March 2019, from community forest, he is thought to be about 5-years-old but showed extremely wild behaviour (read more about his rescue).

Shifa rescued in September 2016

Habitat loss is forcing wild orangutans into closer contact with humans. We can’t say for sure what happened to the mothers of Shifa and Panglima but it is most likely they were killed, because they were considered as pests. As an infant, Shifa would have been clinging to her mother and so she was taken to become a pet. Panglima, being older and more independent, must have been apart from his mother when she was killed.

Panglima rescue by Orangutan Foundation and Wildlife Department (BKSDA) Central Kalimantan

Shifa was taken to the 158,000-acre protected Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. She lived at Camp Buluh, one of five post-release monitoring sites in the reserve, which she shared with another orphaned orangutan, Okto. The two young orangutans were great playmates and Okto helped Shifa to adjust to her new life.

Okto (left) and Shifa (right)

Shifa always displayed very wild instincts and, as she got older, these became stronger and more evident. Increasingly she would go off exploring the surrounding forest and was reluctant to return to her enclosure at night.

Shifa in her nest and increasingly reluctant to go back into her enclosure.

It was decided to release Shifa before she released herself! When an orangutan is fully released back to an independent life, Orangutan Foundation staff follow the individual for up to two weeks to ensure the orangutan is able to survive. Ashley Leiman OBE, Orangutan Foundation Founder and Director/Trustee, was present for the two releases and was encouraged to see how readily both orangutans clambered up into the trees to begin their new life.

As soon as the transport cage door opened, Shifa shot straight out and climbed up the nearest tree

Shifa and Panglima have had to overcome massive hurdles early on in their life. Our challenge now is to ensure the rest of their life is spent in the wild. We are doing this by safeguarding their globally important forest habitat in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Orangutan Foundation actively monitor the reserve with a network of guard posts and regular patrolling to prevent illegal activities from destroying the forests and harming wildlife.

Update on rescued 5-year-old wild orangutan

Yesterday our vet, Dr Dimas, and our reintroduction manager, Mr Azhari, visited Panglima, the five-year-old wild orangutan, who we rescued last week. Panglima is temporarily being kept in isolation at Camp Siswoyo, in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

The staff at Camp Siswoyo provide leaves and branches every day as an enrichment. He doesn’t use the tyre swing but we’re sure he will as he adapts to his new surroundings. Panglima rests on the enclosure floor but as soon as anyone approaches he climbs to the top of the enclosure. He is wild and it is good that he is wary of humans, which is something we want to maintain. He is eating well and this is also a positive sign.