THE 46TH ORANGUTAN RELEASE FROM NYARU MENTENG
The Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park, and the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation will soon conduct the 46th orangutan release from the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR). Below are the orangutans who will be released:
1. Momot
Momot is a male orangutan rescued from a resident in Petak Bahandang Village, Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan. He arrived at Nyaru Menteng on February 12, 2015, at 1.5 years old, weighing 3.2 kg, and without a mother. After successfully completing quarantine and Forest School, Momot continued to the pre-release stage on Salat Island on June 13, 2023.
He is known as an independent orangutan who loves to explore. He demonstrated a wide range of food exploration and good food acquisition skills, as seen by the “pull-off/detach” strategy for obtaining food. Momot also demonstrated a variety of food processing skills (e.g., peel, scrape, break open, drop, break off, and bite off), indicating increased proficiency in processing different food items.
Now 12 years old and weighing 24 kg, after 11 years of rehabilitation, Momot is ready to explore his new home in the TNBBBR.
2. Ficz
Ficz is a male orangutan rescued from a palm oil plantation in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. He arrived at Nyaru Menteng on March 11, 2007, when he was about three months old, weighing 1.7 kg, and without a mother. Ficz underwent a lengthy rehabilitation process and was transferred to Badak Besar Island on June 30, 2022, to complete his pre-release stage.
He is known as a solitary and adaptable orangutan. His travel habit was quite diverse, which included many horizontal locomotion types such as irregular upright suspensory locomotion, horizontal suspensory locomotion, arm-swinging, and quadrupedal scrambling. Such variety demonstrates his increasing confidence and agility in arboreal movement. Importantly, his terrestrial mobility was minimal, which is consistent with orangutans’ natural tendency to remain predominantly arboreal.
Now 18 years old and weighing 45.2 kg, after 18 years of rehabilitation, Ficz is ready to take his final steps toward freedom in the TNBBBR.
3. Wibowo
Wibowo is a male orangutan handed over by a local resident of Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan, and received by BKSDA Central Kalimantan. He arrived at Nyaru Menteng on December 3, 2015, estimated to be two years old and weighing 5.4 kg. After completing quarantine and Forest School, Wibowo continued to the pre-release stage on Badak Besar Island, in the Salat Island cluster, on October 21, 2022.
Wibowo is known for his high alertness and love of exploring. He showed remarkable vertical exploring ability and frequently reached heights of 10 to 15 meters. His foraging activities were various, as were his food-gathering strategies, such as the “pull-off/detach” approach. Furthermore, his food processing habits were diverse (e.g., peeling, scraping, breaking open, dropping, and biting).
Now 12 years old and weighing 42 kg, after 10 years of rehabilitation, Wibowo is ready to embark on his new adventure in the TNBBBR alongside six other orangutans.
4. Otan
Otan arrived at Nyaru Menteng on February 7, 2015, at around 1.5 years old, weighing 5.2 kg. He is a male orangutan rescued by a joint team from BKSDA Central Kalimantan and the BOS Foundation in Buntok, South Barito Regency. After completing quarantine and Forest School, Otan moved to the pre-release stage on Bangamat Island on December 19, 2023.
Otan is known for his love of exploration and skill in finding natural food sources. His dietary exploration was fairly varied (e.g., ripe and unripe fruits, young leaves, seeds, and bark), indicating a growing capacity to recognise and use various food resources in the semi-wild habitat. Otan had outstanding nest-building abilities, as proven by the existence of greenstick fractures on recently used branches, a method similar to those reported in wild orangutans, implying advanced arboreal and cognitive capacity.
Now 12 years old and weighing 33.5 kg, after 10 years of rehabilitation, Otan is ready to return to the wild forests of the TNBBBR.
5. Putri
Putri is a female orangutan rescued from a local resident in Tumbang Samba, Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan. She arrived at Nyaru Menteng on February 3, 2007, when she was about two to three months old and weighed 2.3 kg. After successfully completing quarantine and Forest School, Putri entered the pre-release stage on Salat Island on April 5, 2017.
She is known for being sociable and capable of defending herself when threatened. She demonstrated good nest-building ability, constructing stable and well-formed nests. Her horizontal locomotion patterns were also varied, and she also showed good vertical exploration, she frequently reaching heights of 10–15 meters.
Now 18 years old and weighing 30.6 kg, after a long rehabilitation process, Putri is ready to begin her next chapter in the true wilderness.
6. Kapuan
Kapuan is a female orangutan repatriated from Thailand along with 47 other orangutans. She arrived at Nyaru Menteng on November 22, 2006, at approximately 6.5 years old and weighing 22 kg. After undergoing an extensive rehabilitation process, Kapuan was transferred to Badak Kecil Island, part of the Salat Island cluster, on May 17, 2022.
She is known for being highly adaptable and skilled at foraging for natural foods. Her food processing techniques were diverse, indicating growing proficiency in handling and consuming different forest resources. She also displayed highly varied food exploration behaviour, showing adaptability in identifying new feeding opportunities. Kapuan’s horizontal locomotion was also diverse, while quadrupedal walking was observed only minimally, consistent with the typical movement patterns of arboreal orangutans.
Now 26 years old and weighing 31.7 kg, after 19 years of rehabilitation, Kapuan is ready to return to where she truly belongs, the wild rainforest.
7. Berunay
Berunay is a female orangutan rescued from a resident in Petuk Berunay, Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. She arrived at Nyaru Menteng on December 16, 2004, estimated to be about two years old and weighing 3.5 kg, without a mother. After completing rehabilitation, Berunay entered the final pre-release stage on Kaja Island on April 18, 2017.
On this island, she became known for her adventurous nature and her skill in finding natural food sources. She exhibited a moderately diverse range of food exploration, along with varied horizontal locomotion behaviours and minimal quadrupedal walking. Her terrestrial movement was rarely observed, as she primarily engaged in arboreal activity, with vertical exploration reaching heights of 15–20 meters. This indicates strong climbing skills and confidence in canopy movement, aligning closely with the locomotor patterns of wild orangutans.
Now 23 years old and weighing 45 kg, after 21 years of rehabilitation, Berunay is finally ready to embark on her journey to freedom in TNBBBR alongside her fellow orangutans.
