Five Rehabilitated Bornean Orangutans Returned to the Wild from Nyaru Menteng

RRI.CO.ID, Palangka Raya - Five Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) have been successfully released back into their natural habitat at the Tumbang Hiran Resort, located within the Region II Kasongan Management Section of the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR), Central Kalimantan, on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The release operations were carried out through a joint collaborative network involving the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA Kalteng), the TNBBBR Authority, the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation, and various national and international partners. The event marks the 47th operational release cohort dispatched from the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Palangka Raya.

The cohort consists of three females and two males who have fully graduated from a multi-year rehabilitation curriculum and have been legally certified as capable of independent survival in a wild jungle landscape. The conservation deployment acts as a structural stepping stone to restore wild Bornean orangutan population densities and reinforce the underlying tropical rainforest ecosystem.

Among the reintroduced primates is Himba, a 15-year-old male who was originally rescued as an infant after suffering severe physical burns during a catastrophic forest fire. Following 14 years of intensive medical care and survival training at the rehabilitation facility, Himba demonstrated total mastery in wild foraging techniques and forest navigation, earning his release clearance.

Alongside Himba is Lykke, a 23-year-old female who spent nearly 22 years in the rehabilitation program. She first arrived at Nyaru Menteng with her mother when she was only a month old.

Another female, Farida, originally rescued from Tumbang Samba, exhibited exceptional exploration and adaptation skills during her pre-release evaluation phase. Together with two other orangutans, Nett and Semeru, the five primates have officially begun their new lives in the wild.

Head of BKSDA Central Kalimantan, Andi Muhammad Kadhafi, highlighted that every successful reintroduction reinforces regional ecological stability and safeguards the nation's broader biodiversity profile on Friday, June 19, 2026.

"This release marks the 47th with the BOS Foundation in Central Kalimantan. We appreciate the synergy and cooperation of all parties who continue to support the conservation of orangutans and their habitat," he said, as quoted by Infopublik.id.

The CEO of the BOS Foundation, Jamartin Sihite, added that the successful deployment reflects the long-term, arduous nature of primate rehabilitation and noted that the return of these animals represents a vital victory for conservation teams. He explained that each orangutan carries an individual story of survival, and the release marks a critical transition from captive dependence to absolute environmental freedom. ***