JAKARTA, Oct 11 — Eight orangutans rescued in recent weeks from blazes that tore through Borneo island have been released into a protected forest, Indonesian authorities and rescuers said on today.
The apes were saved from several locations razed by fires — mostly plantations near their forest homes — in the West Kalimantan province on the Indonesian side of Borneo last month, the forestry ministry and the YIARI wildlife rehabilitation foundation said in a statement.
The orangutans, three mom and baby pairs as well as two male teenagers, were relocated on Friday to the Batu Nyambu Protected Forest in West Kalimantan, a 23,000-hectare reserve with primary and secondary forest cover.
YIARI CEO Karmele Llano Sanchez said relocating the animals to a new location was a “necessary step” when their habitat was no longer safe.
