New 87,000-Hectare Wildlife Corridor to Save Orangutan
- 13 Jul 2026 15:30 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry is finalizing an 87,000-hectare preservation area in East Kalimantan to protect orangutan habitats.
- The preservation zone will serve as an ecological corridor connecting fragmented orangutan habitats across the Keraitan Landscape.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Forestry is finalizing a large 87,000-hectare preservation area in East Kalimantan intended to serve as an ecological corridor. The sanctuary will reconnect fragmented orangutan habitats across the Keraitan landscape and provide safe passage for the critically endangered species.
“This has been in process for a long time. If I’m not mistaken, the multistakeholder preservation area covers 87,000 hectares,” said Forestry Minister, Raja Antoni, in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday, 13 July 2026.
He said the ministry will soon issue a letter of support for orangutan conservation efforts initiated in partnership with various parties. The Ministry is also preparing a decree to establish the Keraitan Landscape Integrated Orangutan Conservation Working Group.
He described the procedural work as lengthy and said only administrative steps remain.
“We are now in the final stage. I will issue a support letter for conservation and habitat protection by the Conservation Action Network (CAN), and the decree forming the Keraitan Landscape Integrated Orangutan Conservation Working Group. God willing, this will be completed within a day or two,” he said.
The minister called the formation of the preservation area an important step to strengthen orangutan habitat protection. The effort will involve collaboration among the government, conservation organizations, and permit holders operating in the area.
As quoted by Antara, the preservation zone will function as a wildlife corridor linking orangutan habitats across the Keraitan Landscape.
“So that what we’ve seen, orangutans wandering into mining areas, including infant orangutans, does not happen anymore. By establishing a preservation area as proposed by our partners, we can rescue many more baby orangutans,” he said.
He added that he will closely monitor the preservation area’s progress together with the Conservation Action Network, which is active on the ground.
“CAN has explained that all companies operating in that area have reportedly committed and signed agreements to support the establishment of the preservation area,” said the minister.
“As a result, we expect this will protect habitat and accelerate rescue efforts for orangutans affected by loss of living space,” he added. ***
News Recomendation
Loading latest news.....