Sampit, Ekuatorial – After failed to save its mother, official managed to confiscate a baby orangutan captivated from a local villager of Menjalin, Parenggean sub-district, of Kotawaringin district, on Sunday (22/2), in Central Kalimantan.
“The baby orangutan was captured by local villagers for ransacking their plantations. The mother had died from being shot and [they] took the baby. This is the first time that our villager had captured an orangutan. We encourage people not to capture or kill orangutans if they found them in their plantations,” said Hairil, chief of Menjalin village, who managed to persuade the villager to hand over the baby to Sampit Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA) for rehabilitation.
Initially, Hairil said that the villager had refused to give up the baby which had been kept for a month but relented after getting some understandings.
Muriansyah of Sampit BKSDA said that the baby was in good condition when came to their post and will be sent to Pangkalan Bun of West Kotawaring district for further medical check up.
“Baby orangutans managed to be saved usually will need to go through quarantine before being released to the wild,” said Muriansyah adding his concern that massive fores clearing resulted to orangutans evicted from their habitat.
“Orangutan habitat in East Kotawaringin is declining significantly. We recorded that five wildlife, one gibbon and four orangutans, have been handed over by people from January to February,” he said.
Furthermore, he said that people should reported orangutan existence in their lands so they can be evacuated to their habitat. It was very dangerous, he said, to domesticate orangutans as they could transmit diseases, such as rabies, hepatitis, herpes, influenza, and tuberculosis.
“If villagers spotted orangutans, report it to BKSDA, don’t kill or keep them because based on 1990 Law on Conservation that who ever domesticate, kill, harm, or trade [wildlife] will be liable for five years in prison and Rp 100 million (US$ 7,750),” he added. Maturidi