Hello, Mail! We Meet Again!

It has been 9 months since the last time we saw Mail. We had been conducting several expeditions to find him ever since , but we couldn’t get his signal. From those expeditions, we  found Abbie instead, who happened to be across the Soh River, but unfortunately the river was flooded, so we couldn’t follow her further.

Last January, some Gaharu (agarwood) and bird nest collectors informed us  that Mail had moved as far as three days trip by foot from our location. He was seen around Sepan riverbank. The place was further afield, so we decided not to observe him. In April, when we conducted an expedition to Kampung Punan, we got information that Mail was seen playing along Atip River. Unfortunately, it would take two to three hours by motorboat to reach Atip River from Kampung Punan. The team decided to call it off because the place was just too far. Instead, we started to collect information from the local people about the orangutan they saw in Atip River and compare it with our data about Mail’s characteristic and behavior. One day, when the team was doing their daily patrol, one of our technicians saw Mail crossing Soh River and moving towards our camp. We immediately checked his radio telemetry signal and apparently the chip implanted in his neck was still working properly. Mail was seen walking towards our camp while looking for food. He then crossed Lesik River behind the camp through the  sling rope and settled himself on the hill accross the river. We assumed that maybe he hadn’t been able to find food in his territory, so he was happy to find abundance of fruit on the hill. Mail swung from one tree to another freely and happily, feasting on fruits such as Mahang (Macaranga sp.), Liana, Ficus sp., Artocarpus sp., and many others. He seemed to enjoy the moment. Reminiscing the old days, buddy?

Mail with his growing beard and muscular body!

Crossing Lesik River with a sling rope

The team followed Mail for several days to observe his improvements and behavior. The last time we saw him back in July 2012, he was still a small, cute orangutan. Now, he has grown into a mature orangutan with muscular body and growing beard. His roaming area is now getting larger, sometimes it makes us overwhelmed but excited at the same time.

Days went by and we lost him again after he ran really fast into a bush and we couldn’t find his path. But we didn’t give up and kept trying since most probably,  Mail was still around. We just couldn’t locate him or detect him with the radio telemetry. Soon, our effort turned fruitful. After trying for a while we finally received radio telemetry signal from  Mail. He was around Piapung, located across Soh River, 2.5 km away from our main camp. The team then crossed the Soh River to find Mail. And, there he was, enjoying  young leaves of wild ginger. We continued to follow him, and after three days we went back to Camp 103 and left him to continue his food foraging alone. Just two days after we left, Mail was seen again across Lesik River, right behind our main camp. As of today, he is still under our observation.

Playing in a Mahang Tree

Good to see you again, Mail! Stay healthy and keep growing gracefully!

Text by: Putri Wulansari, Post Release Monitoring Coordinator

Photos by: Deni Maulana and Awal Choirianto, PRM Technician

 

A New Life for the Big Three

It has been two weeks since Leo, Juminten and Titin are enjoying the beauty of the nature in Kehje Sewen Forest. Since being reintruduced last April 14, 2013, they started to adapt with the real forest life. It was the first time we released adult orangutans in East Kalimantan after releasing six juveniles last year. So it is crucial to closely monitor the adaptation of the “Big Three” in their new home.

Leo, the Ruler!

Among the three orangutans, Leo is the only male. He has quickly become the ruler in the forest around Lembu River, the place where they were reintroduced. Leo was off to a slow start, though. For the first three days, he wasn’t eating very much. But soon after that, Leo immediately showed his ability to adapt to a new place. He began to discover the area of Lembu River by swinging from one tree to another and started to try diferent kinds of food. He also flawlessly built a nest to rest when the sun set. It was an excellent start for King Leo!

Leo, enjoying the true forest

The Post Release Monitoring (PRM) Team has also started nest-to-nest monitoring activity. In the beginning, following Leo was not easy because he looked uncomfortable, continuosly kiss squeaking and throwing twigs to the team who followed him. It is obvious that Leo doesn’t like to be surrounded by humans. So we reduced the number of observers in the team to only three people per orangutan (before, we dispatched more people for backup just in case Leo became aggressive). Now Leo is calmer and seems to be habituated with the observers. Leo has traveled around 700 meters from his release point. Radio telemetry signal indicates that Leo is continuosly moving away from the release point. It is becoming harder to follow him, not because he is kiss squeaking but because he is moving so quikcly!

Leo looks uncomfortable to be surrounded by humans

Juminten, the Best Graduate!

How about Juminten? The PRM Team dubbed her “The Best Graduate” of this reintroduction group. After spending 15 years at Samboja Lestari and learned forest skills only through the rehabilitation process at Forest School and on Orangutan Island, Juminten showed impressive ability to adapt in a real forest.

By the second day after being reintroduced, her roaming range had reached 200-300 meters from the release point. It is typical for female orangutan rehabilitants not to travel too far from their release points. So Juminten’s range is normal and in fact indicates her marvelous confidence in exploring her new environment.

Loving the new ‘home’, Juminten?

Juminten has also tried so many types of food confidently. She tried the fruit of Lithocarpus sp, or commonly known as Stoned Oak (Tanoak). Lithocarpus is a genus in the Beech Wood family. Its fruit looks like a chestnut. Juminten had never seen this kind of fruit before, because it can’t be found in Forest School nor on Orangutan Island. After enjoying the fruit for a couple of days, it became her favourite. Good job, Juminten!

Apart from her excellent knowledge of forest food, Juminten is a distungished nest maker. In one day, Juminten can build two to three nests. Her morning nest is usually built at around 7 or 8 am. She makes this nest for her sanctuary to relax in the morning sun. Let’s just say, Juminten enjoys sunbathing! At around 1 or 2 pm, she makes another nest for her afternoon nap. And in the evening, she makes another nest for her night rest. Her nest-building ability equals to the ability of a wild orangutan that also usually makes two to three nests a day.

Juminten swinging between trees

Titin, the Laid back One!

Titin’s character is slightly different from her friends. Within the first three days, Titin had explored her surrounding area but not as extensively as Juminten did. She also seems to be more cautious when it comes to food. Until now, Titin sticks to what she knows, such as ginger and a few other types of food she learned in Forest School. The PRM Team plans to keep a close eye on Titin. If her eating patterns put her health and well being in jeopardy in any way, we may need to help by giving her food supplements. We did this in Central Kalimantan to one of our released female orangutans until she was nursed back to health and gained her confidence in eating more variety of forest food. Let’s pray this will not be the case with Titin and that she will always be fine.

This is why the Monitoring Program is very important. Monitoring and data collection must be conducted intensively for at least one year, and results will be used as references for future releases. Good luck Leo, Juminten and Titin! Keep learning and we hope you will soon settle comfortably in the wild Kehje Sewen Forest. Don’t worry, we are watching over you!

Text by: drh. Agus Irwanto and Putri Wulan Sari (RHOI PRM Coordinator)

Photos by: Putri Wulan Sari

Samboja Lestari Orangutan Release (Day 2 – Final)

Today, Juminten and Titin finally joined their friend Leo in their true home, Kehje Sewen Forest.

While Leo was flown by helicopter directly from Samboja Lestari to Kehje Sewen, these two female orangutans must first travel by road on a truck to Sangatta, approximately 9 hours from Samboja Lestari. Accompanied by vet Agnes and seven technicians from Samboja Lestari, Juminten and Titin departed yesterday at 10.30 am and arrived at 7 pm in Sangatta where they stayed overnight in the transit enclosures at a compound belonging to PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC). They would be flown to Kehje Sewen the next day, which is today!

Preparation for Juminten and Titin

Today, since 6 am vet Agnes prepared Juminten and Titin for their departure to Kehje Sewen. Assisted by the technicians, vet Agnes sedated Juminten and Titin so they could be moved from the transit enclosures to their travel cages. The technicians of course did not forget to prepare plenty of fruits for Juminten and Titin as snacks during the journey.

Sedation Process

Preparing the Snacks for Juminten and Titin

The travel cages were then transported by truck to the airport, which is located around 20 minutes from KPC. The Bell 412 helicopter owned by National Utility Helicopter (NUH) was already waiting there, ready to deliver Juminten and Titin to their forest home.

Loading Juminten and Titin onto the Helicopter

On this flight, Juminten and Titin were accompanied by vet Agnes and Ferdy, a technician from Samboja Lestari. Ferdy was seen occasionally feeding Juminten, who started to look irritated in her travel cage, with some peanuts to calm her down.

Ferdy, Gave Some Peanuts to Calm Her Down

Good News from Kehje Sewen

Although Kehje Sewen was hit again by heavy rain last night, this morning our team in Kehje Sewen reported happy tidings that the weather was quite clear. The Lesik River that flooded yesterday had gradually subsided. There was still some visible haze north of the helipad at Camp 103, but eventually it was replaced by clear blue sky.

Perfect Weather in Kehje Sewen

In Sangatta, the helicopter carrying Juminten, Titin, vet Agnes and Ferdy took off at 9.10 am. At 9.55 am, it successfully landed on the helipad at Camp 103 in Kehje Sewen. The flight was smooth without a hitch.

Off to Kehje Sewen!

The team in Kehje Sewen was ready for the arrival of Juminten and Titin. They immediately began unloading. Juminten’s travel cage was the first to be unloaded and taken to the sling at the riverbank of Lesik, followed by Titin’s travel cage.

Safely Landed in Kehje Sewen!

The crossing process of these two travel cages by sling across Lesik River went effortlessly. They were then taken by car to the second crossing point at Lembu River. After successfully crossing Lembu River – also by sling – Juminten and Titin were finally transported by another car to the pre-designated release points.

Preparing Titin to Cross the River

Juminten, Ready to Cross the River

Opening the Cages!

Titin was released approximately 50 meters away from Leo’s release point, while Juminten was reintroduced at some distance from Titin. Both of these female orangutans’ travel cages were opened by Dr. Aldrianto Priadjati, RHOI Deputy Director of Conservation, assisted by Eko Prasetyo, RHOI Orangutan Rescue Coordinator. Juminten’s travel cage was opened at 2.10 pm, while Titin’s was opened 10 minutes later. Once their travel cages were opened, each of them walked on the forest floor for the first few seconds before finally choosing a tree. Then they immediately climbed each of their chosen trees with joy!

Opening Titin’s Cage

Enjoy the Forest, Juminten!

A touching story behind this release was shared by Gozali (nicknamed Jali), a technician from Samboja Lestari who helped carry the two female orangutans’ travel cages to their release points. Jali witnessed young Juminten and Leo when they were rescued from a huge forest fire in East Kalimantan in 1997-1998. As a member of the rescue team that saved Leo and Juminten, Jali confessed how moved he was seeing Leo and Juminten turning into independent adults and now living freely in their true home. That is why Jali had insisted to participate in this release, just so he could watch his two best friends taste their freedom.

Juminten Started to Enjoy the Canopy!

You’re Finally Home, Titin!

The Difference Between East and Central Kalimantan

Unlike orangutan releases from the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Program in Central Kalimantan that could reintroduce orangutans by the dozens at once, the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Reintroduction Program in East Kalimantan this time could only release three orangutans due to a much more difficult terrain.

Landscape in Central Kalimantan is generally flat and dominated by peatland forests. While in East Kalimantan, the typical forest type is rainforest that grows in hilly areas, bordered by large rapid white-water rivers that are prone to flooding. Therefore the orangutan releases in East Kalimantan have a high level of complexity and the cost is also very high.

It is our hope that our reintroduction efforts continue to gain support from various parties, especially financial, transportation and logistical support, so that more East Kalimantan rehabilitated orangutans could join Leo and his friends in the wild.

They are Finally Home

Finally, the Samboja Lestari orangutan release activity was completed. Leo, Juminten and Titin are now home in the Kehje Sewen Forest.

Enjoy your true freedom high in the canopy, dear Leo, Juminten and Titin! We will keep a close eye on you.

Text by: Monica Devi Krisnasari – BOSF Communications Assistant

Samboja Lestari Orangutan Release (Day 1)

Starting today the BOS Foundation at Samboja Lestari releases three orangutans into Kehje Sewen forest. Since morning, the whole team is ready for this activity. The Samboja Lestari medical team began the process of sedation at 6 AM. Leo, the only male orangutan release candidate, got the first turn to be sedated because he will be the first candidate sent to the forest.

Sedation Process by the Medical Team and Technician

Leo was then loaded onto a travel cage then transported to Kehje Sewen by Bell 412 Helicopter owned by PT. National Utility Helicopters (NUH). Leo was accompanied by drh. Agus Irwanto and one technician from Samboja Lestari. The flight was expected to reach Kehje Sewen in 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, Juminten and Titin were transported to Sangatta by car. They both will take an overnight in transit cages located in Kaltim Prima Coal and fly to Kehje Sewen by helicopter the next day. Juminten and Titin will be accompanied by drh. Agnes and seven technicians from Samboja Lestari.

Juminten, being sedated

Unexpected news came from Kehje Sewen. Last night, there was a heavy rain in Kehje Sewen resulting the flooded Lesik River and a small landslide behind the Camp 103. The rain was eventually stopped this morning but Kehje Sewen was still covered in thick fog. This caused a very low visibility and dangerous for Leo’s flight. The team was continuously monitoring the weather to ensure the departure towards Kehje Sewen.

Thick Fog Covered Kehje Sewen

Thankfully, the weather was gradually getting better. The drizzle stopped and the thick fog that covered Kehje Sewen faded away. Leo was ready to be flown to his home! At 7:45 AM, the helicopter departed towards Kehje Sewen.

Leo Departed to Kehje Sewen

At 09:30 AM, the helicopter carrying Leo was successfully landed on the helipad in Camp 103. The whole team that has been waiting was then swiftly transporting the cage to the sling located over the Lesik River just behind the Camp 103.

RHOI Team Took Out the Transport Cage

Crossing the travel cage through the Lesik River is definitely not an easy task. Accuracy and carefulness were needed for the orangutan safety. We will do everything to make sure Leo is safe and he can enjoy the forest immediately! Finally, the team managed to cross Leo through the Lesik River although the team noticed Leo was trying so hard to pull the strap out of the cage.

Tighten the Straps Before Crossing It

Leo, Inside the Cage, Crossing the Rushing Lesik River

After successfully crossing the Lesik River, Leo then transported by car to the release point, located in the banks of Lembu River. When finally got there, Leo was ferried for the second time to the other side of Lembu River. The technician put the transport cage in around 150 m from the river edge. It was 3 PM when the cage was opened, Leo was immediately stepped out and climbed to the nearest tree. Everybody was so happy to be able to witness the true freedom of Leo. Congratulation, Leo! Enjoy your freedom!

Enjoy the Forest, Leo!

How about Juminten and Titin? Just now, we received news about them. They both have arrived safely in Sangatta, taking an overnight rest. We do hope that tomorrow, the weather will be good so the flight for them towards Kehje Sewen can run smoothly.

Text by: Monica Devi Krisnasari – BOSF Communications Assistant

Press Release: The BOS Foundation at Samboja Lestari Releases Three Orangutans

In conjunction with the Earth Day commemoration which is observed worldwide on April 22, the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation at Samboja Lestari releases another three East Kalimantan orangutans, after successfully releasing six orangutans to their natural habitat one year ago.

Samboja, East Kalimantan, April 14 – 15, 2013. Today three orangutans consisting of one male (Leo) and two females (Juminten and Titin) are commencing their journey back to the forest. Leo will be flown by a helicopter from the BOS Foundation Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Samboja Lestari to the Kehje Sewen Forest in Kutai Timur and Kutai Kartanegara Regencies, and Juminten and Titin will follow by helicopter on April 15 after making the first part of the journey by road to the transit enclosures at PT. Kaltim Prima Coal, and to be released in pre-designated release points by the banks of Lembu River.

The Kehje Sewen Forest is an Ecosystem Restoration Concession (ERC) managed by PT Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia (RHOI), a company that was established by the BOS Foundation on April 21, 2009, solely to acquire the right to use and manage a forest which is desperately needed to release rehabilitated orangutans from the BOS Foundation Orangutan Reintroduction Center at Samboja Lestari.

This release event involves the collaboration of all stakeholders, including the Coordinating Ministry for People’s Welfare, East Kalimantan Provincial Government, Kutai Kartanegara and East Kutai Regency Governments, East Kalimantan Conservation and Natural Resources Authority, and the people of Kutai Kartanegara and Kutai Timur. The BOS Foundation would also like to convey their gratitude for the moral, financial and logistical supports from private sectors such as Bank Central Asia (BCA), PT. National Utility Helicopters and PT. Kaltim Prima Coal, as well as individual donors, partner organizations and other conservation organizations across the globe who are concerned with orangutan conservation in Indonesia.

The Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, dr. H. R. Agung Laksono, who attends the event said, “The people of Indonesia must maintain orangutans in their natural forest habitat. Humans need the forest which acts as our natural sustenance, either to prevent flood, land erotion, and as the lungs of the world, and orangutans are part of that natural ecosystem. I feel honored and fortunate to be able to attend this event, because this is a true example of how the different stakeholders work together to protect and preserve the forest, for the sake of long term human welfare and long-term conservation.”

Along with the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, East Kalimantan Vice Governor Drs. H. Farid Wadjdy, M.Pd. also attends the ceremony. In addition to Earth Day commemoration, the Minister and state officials also show their support towards the land rehabilitation program at Samboja Lestari by planting trees.

The Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHKA) of the Ministry of Forestry Ir. Darori Wonodipuro, M.M. also stated, ”When we talk about orangutans, which are protected by law, the responsibility to protect them and ensure their sustainability rests with all Indonesian people without exception. And this should not be forgotten and must always be applied in the management of our land in Indonesia. All parties, including the central and local governments must refer to the legal boundaries and processes, as well as implementing a strict obligation to maintain and preserve the environment.”

Adding to the Minister’s and the Director General’s statements, Drs. H. Farid Wadjdy, M.Pd. said, “The commitment of the Provincial Government has not changed. We still closely work together with the BOS Foundation, the Regency Governments, and other stakeholders in the effort of allocating more lands for ecosystem restoration concessions, especially to provide suitable habitat for orangutans. We also collaborate with the East Kalimantan Conservation and Natural Resources Authority to increase the activities of monitoring, surveillance, and law enforcement at the remaining habitat in East Kalimantan. This is in accordance with the Kaltim Green Program ran by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government.”

Successful orangutan reintroduction programs need to continue in order to return displaced orangutans back to natural habitat and achieve the target stated on the Indonesian Orangutan Conservation Strategy and Action Plan 2007- 2017. The Action Plan was launched by the President of the Republic of Indonesia during the Climate Change Conference in Bali, 2007. It states that all eligible orangutans in rehabilitation centers should be released by 2015, and this has been validated by all levels of government, including the provincial and regency levels.

“We will continue to strive to meet the release target set by the government. However, our release activities will need to be supported by suitable forest availability which will serve as habitat for the orangutans. In this case we desperately need the realisation of the local governments’ commitments, especially East Kutai and Kutai Kartanegara Regency Governments,” said Dr. Jamartin Sihite, CEO of the BOS Foundation.

Aschta Boestani Tajudin, Samboja Lestari Program Manager said, “There are still 173 rehabilitated orangutans who are healthy and meet the release requirements waiting in Samboja Lestari to be released to their natural habitat. Also, we have 59 orangutans who will never be able to be released back into the wild due to disabilities they sustained during their displacement and capture – these orangutans are now waiting for land allocation as a sanctuary in order to be able to also live in nature.”

In conjunction with the upcoming Earth Day onApril 22, the release of these three orangutans is an appeal to all stakeholders to realize orangutan conservation efforts for the sustainable welfare and future of all living beings on earth.

One Day to the Orangutan Release

As previously planned, tomorrow morning (4/14) the BOS Foundation will reintroduce 3 orangutans from Orangutan Reintroduction Center at Samboja Lestari into Kehje Sewen forest, a natural forest in East Kutai Regency leased by RHOI for the specific purpose as an orangutan release site.

All of the preparations to support this activity have been carried out since the earlier days, either by the BOS Foundation and RHOI team who stayed in Kehje Sewen forest. The temporary camp (flying camp) and a simple bridge have been built since last March in the forest. Yesterday (4/12), the BOS Foundation and RHOI team have already arrived in Kehje Sewen after traveling since the day before.

The Journey Begins

As usual, the trip to Kehje Sewen is started from Jabdan Village, Muara Wahau towards Pelangsiran. After resting overnight in Pelangsiran, the journey to Kehje Sewen was resumed.

The less friendly weather in Kehje Sewen recently was admittedly made it difficult enough for the team to reach Kehje Sewen. The floods over the 88 river that flows along the main road towards Kehje Sewen made it impassable by car. Therefore the team was forced to travel as far as 23 km on foot to get to the Camp 103. The journey started at 08:30 in the morning and they arrived at 07:45 in the night.

The Team Crossing the Flooded River
Photo by: Iwan Pribadi

The Team Took a Rest during the Journey to Camp 103
Photo by: Iwan Pribadi

The other Preparation

This morning, the team continued the preparation of the orangutan release. In addition to continuously reporting the actual weather of Kehje Sewen forest to the team that will transport the orangutan from Samboja Lestari, they also carefully check the orangutan transport sling and work for the other preparations.

Meanwhile, a number of food and basic necessities for the whole team who stay in Kehje Sewen was sent from Balikpapan with the Bell 412 helicopter owned by the National Utility Helicopter (NUH). The helicopter that is also flying the team from BOS Australia and the 60 Minutes film crew who will document the activity of the orangutan release, departed from Balikpapan at 09.10 in the morning and landed on the Camp 103 helipad at 12.10 noon after previously refueling in Muara Wahau.

The Bell 412 Landed in Camp 103
Photo by: Jamartin Sihite

Checking the Sling
Photo by: Iwan Pribadi

The whole preparation for this orangutan release activities will not be successful without the teamwork and the continuous support to each other. Therefore, this morning the team held a simple ceremony to celebrate all the phase that has been passed as well as to pray for the tomorrow’s release. Hopefully, the release activity will run smoothly without significant obstacles.

A Simple Ceremony
Photo by: Iwan Pribadi

Text by: Monica Devi Krisnasari – BOSF Communications Assistant

Samboja Lestari Orangutan Release Candidate Profiles

In the near future, orangutan population in Kehje Sewen forest will increase. There are at least three rehabilitated orangutan from Orangutan Reintroduction Center at Samboja Lestari who will be reintroduced into the forest on April 14, 2013. They are Juminten, Leo and Titin. Here are their profiles.

Juminten

Rescued from an industrial forest owned by PT Surya Hutani Jaya (SHJ) in Sebulu on the border of Kutai National Park, Juminten at that time was only 6-7 years old. At this age, orangutans in the wild are considered teenagers as they are usually already independent from their mothers. The female teenager Juminten was found in a block of industrial acacia trees and was taken to BOS Foundation’s rehabilitation center in Samboja on April 12, 1998.

Following initial health checks Juminten needed initial medical treatment. In 2010 Juminten was moved to a pre-released island where she met Leo. The two have been courting for a while now. An interesting note about Juminten is that she is often seen lovingly babysitting and taking care of another female orangutan’s baby when the mother is unwell. Juminten is now a beautiful 21 year-old and is as wild as ever. And her time has finally come to return to the wild where she belongs!

Leo

Leo is a male orangutan who was rescued when he was aged 4-5 years old from Sebulu, one of the areas in East Kalimantan which was devastated by forest fires in 1997/1998. He was taken to Wanariset-Samboja (previous name of Samboja Lestari) on September 26, 1997. Leo demonstrated very wild behavior indicating that he had not had much contact with humans. After spending quite some time in a socialization enclosure, Leo was finally relocated to a pre-release island, Island 3, in 2009. Leo immediately embraced life on the island wholeheartedly. He adjusted quickly and was soon actively climbing trees, making nests, and demonstrating his ability to find forest foods.

In 2010, we introduced Leo to some females – Eliza, Mona and Juminten. Again, he showed encouraging behavior and was very gentle and playful in his approach to them. Leo was obviously attracted to Juminten, but with Mona and Eliza, he played  more of a big brother role. Leo’s progress has convinced us that he is ready for a life in a real forest.  Now at 20 years old, the handsome male with huge cheek-pads is soon going home!

Titin

Titin is a female orangutan who first came to Samboja Lestari on March 9, 1994. Rescued in the capital of East Kalimantan, Samarinda, she was 4-5 years old. In 2000, Titin delivered a baby boy, Titon who lived with his mother until he was 7 years old. After Titon was moved to be with orangutans his own age, in 2008, Titin had her second baby – a baby girl this time – named Tina-Toon. At the end of 2010, Titin and her daughter Tina-Toon were moved to a pre-released island, joining Leo and Juminten among others.

Now that Tina-Toon has left her mother to join Forest School, Titin seems to progress a lot quicker in terms of developing her forest skills. Although she is not as dominant as Juminten, on the island Titin is second in command. However, Titin does not show repressive behavior towards younger orangutans on the island. She is generally a kind orangutan who also has an on-and-off love interest with Leo which Juminten does not seem to mind at all. Her island life has been good and rewarding. But at the age of 23 years old, Titin will soon embark on her final journey home.

 

Release Preparation: Creatively Working Together

Hamzah, Berlian, Casey, Lesan, Mail and Abbie will soon have new friends in Kehje Sewen. Six rehabilitated orangutans from Orangutan Reintroduction Center at Samboja Lestari will soon join them in the forest, too! Both teams in Samboja Lestari and Kehje Sewen are still busy preparing the upcoming release.

Cleaning up the Release Point

Since March, RHOI Team has been doing some preparation at the release points located around Lembu River. Location for released points was surveyed last November. The team is now building a simple bridge across the Lembu River and a temporary camp (flying camp) for future monitoring team.

Collecting the Sands

The stones and sands needed for bridge and camp construction were taken from the rivers nearby. The process of transporting these materials was challenging due to tough terrain. Several times, the team’s cars had to stop, unable to cross the Lesik River and Lembu River because the rivers were flooded. However these obstacles did not regress the team’s spirit. Working together with drivers, Pelangsiran residents, nest collectors as well as agarwood collectors, the team transported the stones and sands by standing in a relay across the rivers and hauling the materials by hand.

Transporting Materials Manually

Materials such as cement, paint and concrete steel were purchased in Muara Wahau, the nearest sub-regional town from Kehje Sewen. Transporting these to the forest was not an easy task either, given the difficult landscape. Some of the concretes, which had been pre-assembled as a bridge foundation, had to be deconstructed into several pieces to make it easier to bring them into Pelangsiran. Other materials such as the cement were wrapped with plastic bags so they would not get wet. Wrapped materials were then transported to site manually since the Lembu River was still heavily flooded. Creativity is often needed here. The team must not run out of ideas and cannot quickly despair. So they used a big tire to float them across the river. Very creative, indeed!

Digging a Hole to Lodge the Foundation

Thankfully, all materials arrived on sites in good condition. The workers started reassembling the concretes right away for the bridge foundation, while the technicians helped by digging the soil to lodge the foundation. Bridge construction still continues to this day. The flying camp is 80% completed and just requires a few finishing touches to make it perfect.

Building the Flying Camp

By creatively working together, the team has overcome many difficult challenges. Hopefully all facilities needed for the upcoming release will soon be completely functional and the orangutan release activity can be conducted smoothly.

A Memorable Journey to The Home of Orangutan

Waiting for ‘Them’

To reach Kehje Sewen, we had to go by road (very bumpy road) for about three days from Jabdan Village, Muara Wahau District, East Kutai Regency. Early in the morning, we arrived in Jabdan to have a short break and decided to go straight to Pelangsiran – a small transit community at the border of the Kehje Sewen Forest – when sun rose. We had a rest for a while at the house of a warm family who has had a long relationship with RHOI’s team. Mr. Giman, the head of the family is the owner of a guesthouse in Pelangsiran, who is very well respected by the people. The family was very kind to us; they provided us a resting place and very good food that made us feel at home.

However we couldn’t continue our journey right away. As the first timer to the forest, I was a bit anxious. People said that we couldn’t go through, they said we had to wait for “them”. Who are ‘them’ they referred to?

A Symbiosis

As it turned out, ‘them’ refers to the people who live in Pelangsiran. They are called ‘pelangsir’, which is the origin of the name “Pelangsiran”. We finally left in the afternoon when these people had gathered and were ready to go. I did not count how many of us on the way, but I was sure there were more than 20.

They came from different provinces. Most of them are from Java and they have been coexisting with the Dayak people who live in the Kehje Sewen Forest for a long time. They make a living by collecting agarwood (gaharu) and bird nest, as well as becoming porters. We were amazed on how those tiny little bodies are able to carry hundreds of kilos of goods on their back. The goods transported could vary from food to car components. With such heavy weight on their back, they walk on extremely steep trail to get to Pelangsiran. They have to go up and down the hill and cross the river with a sling.

We had to depart altogether, because in such rugged terrain in Kalimantan, going together is so much better than going solo. We would never know what is going to happen during the trip. It could be any scenario; stuck in the mud, blocked by broken trees or a landslide, and so on. We have to anticipate such conditions in advance to get through. Bad things are very likely to happen and therefore going alone is an absurdity.

And it was proven true. The journey to Pelangsiran in favorable condition usually only takes eight hours. But we reached it in fourteen hours. Our car was stuck in the mud and we had to pull it manually with a rope. It was not just that, we also faced a landslide and we had to pass a broken bridge. But we overcame the obstacles together, hand in hand with everyone who went to Pelangsiran.

The pelangsirs are very experienced and physically strong. They are skilled at driving in treacherous terrains and have amazing mechanical skills essential to overcome various break-downs during the trip, they are also very experienced in choosing woods to fix broken bridge to prolong its life. In addition to that fact, they are also a very solid team. When one car is broken, the entire group will stop and fix the broken car before they continue the journey. No one gets left behind.

As a mutually beneficial symbiosis, the relationship between RHOI and the pelangsirs is well maintained. Living at the border of Kehje Sewen, they get full ecological benefits of the services supplied by a preserved forest, especially the availability of clean water. On the other hand, their presence is essentials to our mission. They become our porters, our drivers, our cooks, but most importantly, our friends. They are our family in the forest.

Good Morning, Pelangsiran!

By midnight we arrived at Pelangsiran, one step closer to Kehje Sewen Forest. The trip into Kehje Sewen would start the next day because we were so exhausted. That night, we slept at the guesthouse belonging to Mr. Giman, the owner of the house we met the day before.

Good morning, Pelangsiran!

In the morning when we opened our eyes, we were greeted by the simple lifestyle in Pelangsiran – sleeping in a wooden house, lying on wooden floor, even showering in a doorless bathroom! For some people this kind of condition is not “living life”, but they live their life without fear. This experience was very impressive. And we all hope we can mutually support one another to preserve our forest, to preserve our future.

The Journey to Camp 103

At around 10 AM we departed from Pelangsiran to Camp 103. Usually the trip could take up to four to five hours. Only three of us sat in the front seat, the rest were on the rear seat along with the logistics and supplies for the camp. As well as the trip from Jabdan to Pelangsiran, we also faced numbers of challenges such as landslides and the fallen tree during the journey. In the last bridge right before the entrance of the Camp 103 area, we had to stop because of a deep landslide. Some of us had to go to the camp where is located around two kilometers from the location to ask for help. Albeit our body was craving for a good rest, we still had to walk to reach the camp, however it was fun walking through the forest, it made us feel the real atmosphere of the true forest. Welcome to Kehje Sewen!

Text and photos by: Monica Devi Krisnasari – BOSF Communications Assistant

Release Point, Where the New Life Begins

While Monica, my fellow communications staff, went with the post-release monitoring (PRM) team for daily patrol, I went with another team to visit the release points for our upcoming orangutan release in April 2013. Together with the BOS Foundation CEO Jamartin, RHOI Director Aldrianto, camp members Wulan, Yoshua, and Awal, we went to the bank of Lembu River where two release points have been pre-selected for the upcoming release in April.

Earlier in mid-January, the team from Camp 103 spent three days in Kehje Sewen Forest searching suitable release points. They started the search by assessing the area along Lembu River. It was not an easy task to find a suitable area to release the orangutans. The landscape in the lush forest of Kehje Sewen is dominated by steep and slippery hills which means transporting the travel cages to release points can be difficult. However, the harder the access means the lower the threats from humans – both from industry and from local communities. There should also be natural barriers such as wide and deep rivers or rivers with rapid waters so orangutans can’t easily venture out of it.

There are several criteria to meet in determining a release point. First and foremost are accessibility and availability of orangutan food supply. The point must be accessible by the technicians to carry orangutan travel cages. Food supply should also be abundant for the orangutans, hence the area must be thoroughly surveyed through phenology to determine food availability for orangutans. Phenology survey doesn’t only record fruit trees, but also other food sources such as barks, leaves, insects, etc. Phenology survey also records fruiting season of each fruit tree species to ensure that orangutans will never run out of food. Based on this survey results, we decide release points, the best locations to release orangutans.

Gmelina Arborea
Photo by: Media Romadona

Macaranga Fruit
Photo by: Jamartin Sihite

There are two release points which will be used in April, they are situated at around 30 and 45 minutes travel by car from Camp 103. The journey started by crossing Lesik River just behind the camp.

Crossing Lesik River
Photo by: Media Romadona

The road was, like any other roads in Kehje Sewen, a muddy and slippery narrow path. I had to hold tight otherwise I thought I might be thrown off the bouncing truck. At some points it was almost undistinguishable from its surroundings. Tree branches were ready to hit you in the face if you’re not agile enough to avoid them, especially when you sit on the open back of the truck.

Trunk on the road
Photo by: Media Romadona

On the way, we passed by a hut belongs to Orang Sarang (nest people). Orang Sarang, which acquired their nickname after their occupation, are those who make a living from hunting swallow nests. The hut serves as their transit camp before and after living in the forest for weeks or even months to hunt Swallow nests.

Hut belongs to Orang Sarang
Photo by: Media Romadona

We finally arrived at the entrance to the first release point, about 20 meters from Lembu River bank. We got off the truck and started climbing the hill. The path was slippery and for such a novice like me, it looked intimidatingly precipitous. I rested several times to take some breath, while the technicians walked merrily far ahead. Note to self: Start hitting the gym!

Hiking towards the first release point
Photo by: Media Romadona

This first release point was located 365 meters from the main road where we got off the car. After the area was cleaned up, it was now ready to be the place where the orangutans will be released. We also determined where the travel cages will be placed, as to which trees the orangutans can climb to once the travel cage doors are opened. These details might seem small, but the trees need to be slim enough for them to grab and climb on, but strong enough to hold their weights. Also the canopy needs to be connected to each other so the orangutans can travel easily. At this release point, three orangutans will be released.

Release Point

Apparently while we were up at the release point, our driver, Pak Haji, used the time to repair his truck. Living in such condition where there is no professional garage available in the middle of the forest, you can’t be just a driver, you should also be knowledgable in repairing your own car.

Our driver, Pak Haji, fixed the tyre and machine while waiting for us
Photo by: Media Romadona

Resting after hiking

The River was flooded so we couldn’t cross to reach the second release point
Photo by: Media Romadona

Unfortunately, we couldn’t proceed with survey to the other release point because Lembu River was at high tides after heavy rain the night before. It was too deep and the stream was too strong for the truck to cross. Instead, we went to check the area where a flying camp will be built for release event. The release and monitoring team will stay at this flying camp during and after the event. They will also use a built-by-nature toilet to wash and clean.

The location where we took the photo at will be transformed into a bath and toilet
Photo by: Media Romadona

Special Guests of The Day

We went back to Camp 103 at around 15.00. My spoiled legs were screaming for pain reliever balm, so after excessively rubbing it all over my legs which resulted in burning sensation, I took a rest at the back of the camp facing Lesik River and enjoyed the amazing panorama right in front me. Half-asleep listening to the river stream, someone woke me up and told me that it seemed a couple of orangutans were approaching the forest in front of the camp. I rushed to join the others. Suddenly we heard a loud crack and saw a branch fell to the ground in the forest in front of the camp yard. I gasped; this would be my very first experience to see free-living orangutans in the wild. And there they were! Lesan and Hamzah, two rehabilitant orangutans who were released by the BOS Foundation to Kehje Sewen Forest back in April 2012. Lesan who made the cracking sound by breaking a tree branch was sitting on a Macaranga tree, picking out ripe fruits and Hamzah swinging on the branches on top of hers. I hold my breath, it was a beautiful feeling to see such magnificent creatures living free in the forest where they belong, no conflict with humans nor forced to live in a broken habitat. The good news is, in April 2013, six orangutans will follow Hamzah, Lesan, Casey, and others’ steps to start a new life in their true home in Kehje Sewen Forest, and more orangutans to come.

Hamzah
Photo by: Jamartin Sihite

Lesan
Photo by: Jamartin Sihite

Text by: Media Romadona, BOSF Communications Officer.