From the President - Borneo Orangutan Survival ...
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Issue 23 | March 2018 BOS Australia | + 61 2 9011 5455 | PO Box 3916 Mosman NSW 2088
From the President…
Happy New Year! Alba, the albino orangutan, captured to these deaths. I just want to take
It’s already been a good start to the our hearts in 2017 and I’m sure you will them up to Borneo and show them
year with more orangutans released. all be very excited to read the update some of the suffering. I am sure they
Since 2012 we have released over on page 4 on her impending move. are not bad people, but I can only
330 orangutans back to the wild. Whilst it is upsetting to hear of the imagine they are falling for the spin
awful slaughter of another orangutan being fed to them by the consumer
The momentum continues this year goods companies.
with ambitious projects in Salat on page 3, save some of your
Island and Samboja Lestari to allow disdain for our local politicians and I hope you enjoy the news and
at least 100 more orangutans to be bureaucrats. Their decision to delay thanks for your support. It is only
sent to pre-release islands. a decision on palm oil labelling for with your help that we can continue.
a sixth year is a contributing factor Tony Gilding, President
Starting 2018 right
Continuing its tireless work, the Tumbang Manggu village. Torrential team quickly began working in pairs
BOS Foundation started 2018 rain had caused the river to rise, to observe and gather data on the
with the release of another four bringing bundles of potentially released orangutans. They will follow
orangutans into the Bukit Baka dangerous drift logs downstream. and take notes on the released
Bukit Raya National Park, in The team sensibly decided to stay orangutans for 30 days, through
Central Kalimantan. overnight at Tumbang Manggu and nest-to-nest observations, from dawn
In early January, the four candidates continue the trip the next morning. till dusk. The data provides valuable
at Nyaru Menteng (Pong, Rutan, Once the team reached Tumbang information on how orangutans
Agis, and Jaka) were sedated and Tundu they transferred the transport adapt to life in a natural habitat.
examined by the medical team. cages to the small motorized ‘klotok’ This release brings the number of
Once asleep, the four were moved boats for the five-hour trip upstream. rehabilitated orangutans released to
into separate transport cages, then The team then carried the transport the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National
loaded onto the back of the utility cages from the river bank to Park since 2016 to 75. Since 2012, the
vehicles that would take them predetermined release points. BOS Foundation has released 330
directly to Tumbang Tundu, the last All four orangutans gained their orangutans from the Nyaru Menteng
village accessible by car. freedom that evening and headed and Samboja Lestari rehabilitation
The rain was heavy and extra special straight for the trees. centres to sites located in East and
care was needed on the wet and Central Kalimantan.
After the last cage was opened,
slippery roads. After four hours, the the Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) Source: BOS Foundation Communications Team
team arrived at the ferry crossing in
Is there a doctor in the house?
It’s undeniable the similarities Sabangau Forest (in Central Indeed pharmacological laboratory
between humans and great apes. Kalimantan, Borneo) since 2003 analyses has proved that leaf extracts
We share an huge 97% of our DNA and have collected over 20,000 of Dracaena cantleyi have anti-
with orangutans, the only great hours of observational data. inflammatory properties.
ape found in Asia. Through their research, the use of The research team observed
Anyone who is interested in great leaf extracts from Dracaena cantleyi that it was primarily adult female
apes will already know just how smart by orangutan has been observed orangutans performing this
they are. Orangutans, like other great on several occasions. In each case, behaviour. One possible explanation
apes are highly intelligent creatures parts of the leaves were bitten off for this was that females may be
with advanced problem-solving skills. and chewed into a pulp, producing using this plant to soothe sore
They display cultural behaviours, a white soapy lather. This bitter lather muscles and joints from the extra
with different populations tackling was then rubbed onto either the weight of carrying their infants
the same problem in different ways. upper arms or upper legs for a length while climbing through the forest
Additionally, they learn from other of time between 15 and 45 minutes. canopy. Whatever its actual use, the
orangutans and pass on their own The researchers note that this action researchers believe that this is the
skills when they meet. was methodical and purposeful. first evidence for deliberate external
It’s not news that they are able Additionally, none of the bitter leaf self-medication in orangutans.
to make and use tools, but what was swallowed and the remaining The question remains though,
you may not have heard about is chewed pulp was always spat out. did the orangutans learn from the
that they have also been observed Interestingly, the local indigenous indigenous people or did the people
using things in their environment human population also use a learn from the orangutans.
for medicine. poultice of these leaves for the relief Source: Morrogh-Bernard, H.C., Foitová, I., Yeen, Z., Wilkin,
P., de Martin, R., Rárová, L., Doležal, K., Nurcahyo, W., &
Scientists from the Borneo Nature of body pains, providing a plausible, Olšanský, M., 2017, ‘Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo
Foundation have been observing if not probably function for its use pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi’,
Scientific Reports, vol 7, art. 16653, viewed 1 February 2018,
wild Bornean orangutans in the by orangutans.
New species, but just as endangered
A third species of orangutan Mature males have cheek flanges same island. This new species is
has been discovered. similar to those of Bornean found only in an isolated pocket of
The new species, called the Tapanuli orangutans, but their slender build is northern Sumatra, at Batang Toru.
orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), more alike to Sumatran orangutans. As with both other species, the
has a smaller skull than the existing Their hair is more cinnamon in colour Pongo tapanuliensis is critically
Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, than the Bornean species, and the endangered, represented by fewer
but has larger canines. Batang Toru population also makes than 800 individuals. Its remaining
longer calls than other orangutans. habit is split into three fragmented
On the basis of genetic evidence,
researchers have concluded that Strangely, the Batang Toru animals areas where reportedly future
these animals are indeed distinct are more closely related to the development has been planned; and
from both the other two known Bornean orangutan, from across a worrying 15% of the habitat has
species of orangutan, but an the South China Sea, than to the non-protected forest status.
interesting combination of both. Sumatran orangutans living on the
www.orangutans.com.au
Babies flourish with your help
Just before Christmas last year, months. She weighs 8.3kg and
two baby orangutans were rescued loves fruit and milk. After an initial
by our team and admitted to our adjustment period, where she was
Nyaru Menteng centre. We’re somewhat intimidated by all the
pleased to report that both babies new faces, Rachel is doing very well
are doing well. and is now interacting positively
with her substitute mother, one of
Alejandra our dedicated babysitters. She is
Tiny Alejandra is now approximately exploring some of the enrichment on
4–5 months old. She was rescued offer in the baby house and enjoys
on December 22, and came to climbing some of the smaller trees.
our centre a little weak; however, Alejandra and Rachel are the 23rd
thankfully, medical examinations and 24th babies currently being
determined she was actually in good cared for at the BOSF Nyaru
health. She was unable to sit up by Menteng baby house. Both babies
herself, but is now learning to sit will join the nursery group once
properly with the help and guidance they pass the mandatory two-month
of one of our amazing babysitters. quarantine period, and then face
Alejandra’s carers report that she many more years in Forest School
looks happier, and has begun to before being able to be released.
adjust to her new surroundings and
Thanks to the dedication and loving
to her babysitters. Now weighing
care provided by the Nyaru Menteng
2.5 kg, Alejandra loves drinking
team, Alejandra and Rachel are
milk, and has started eating soft
now starting to build confidence,
fruits which will help to increase her
learning how to be an orangutan,
nutritional intake.
and are most certainly on the road to
Rachel recovery and freedom.
Baby Rachel is one of the other tiny Adopt today
orangutans to arrive at our centre for
You can adopt a beautiful baby
care. She was handed over in a small
orangutan today, and make a real
wooden box by a local villager on 23
difference in the lives of these
December.
rescued orangutans.
Rachel is a bit older than Alejandra,
orangutans.com.au/meet-our-family
estimated to be about 12–18
Threats on all sides
The year started with a on much of the orangutan’s habitat. is achievable in the Australian
disturbing news story out As a result, orangutans are often market if sufficient consumer
of Central Kalimantan. killed in human-animal conflicts, and pressure is brought to bear.
The headless corpse of an wildlife activists have slammed the On 24 November 2017 a decision
orangutan, which appeared to authorities for not doing enough to to label palm oil by law was again
have been brutally tortured and prosecute such cases, despite these delayed by health ministers – that’s
killed, was found in a river in central endangered animals being protected six years of delays. To date, only
Borneo, Indonesia, prompting an by law. The Ministry of Environment Victoria has pledged support.
investigation by authorities. and Forestry has promised to deploy
a team to join the investigation and Enough is enough.
A necropsy was conducted in mid- get in touch with the plantation firms.
January and the findings reveal So what can you do?
without a doubt that the orangutan Two plantation workers have since Contact your State government
died due to humans. Apart from the been arrested in connection with now and voice your support for
multiple other grisly revelations, the the killing. If convicted, the suspects clear labelling of palm oil laws so
animal had 17 air rifle bullet injuries. could face up to five-years in jail you can make an informed choice
under Indonesia’s conservation law. when you shop.
The animal’s body was found in an
area close to five plantations. What’s happening with palm oil? http://bit.ly/2ca5SCw
Orangutans are often seen as BOS Australia supports the use Together we can make a difference,
pests by palm oil plantation owners of identity preserved and before it’s too late.
because they sometimes eat palm segregated certified sustainable
fruit. These farms have encroached palm oil. We believe its adoption
www.orangutans.com.au
live a life of freedom, while at the
same time remain protected from
human threats.
Construction works on the island are
at full speed and we’re very happy
to report are mostly complete.
The canal that serves as a natural
border was finished near the end of
2017. Construction of security and
monitoring infrastructure is also
underway; we hope to complete this
by the end of February.
Alba will share her new forest island
home with three other orangutans
– Radmala (a four-year old female),
Kika (a six-year-old female), and Unyu
(a four-year-old male) – all of whom
have been introduced to Alba and
they have bonded well. All show a
certain level of wild behaviour and
Alba ready to move
can be categorised as semi-wild.
Once on the island, the group will
have full-time monitoring and security
provided by staff who will conduct
2018 is set to be a landmark year would normally mean that she could patrols and collect data on their
in the life of Alba, the world’s only be translocated quickly without behaviour and health. Additionally,
know albino orangutan. a lengthy rehabilitation process) our staff will record which orangutans
Five-year-old Alba came to her albinism makes her a very are seen at the feeding platform,
world attention and won all our special case, requiring a bespoke where supplementary foods are
hearts in April 2017 when she rehabilitation strategy. provided twice a day.
was successfully rescued from The symptoms of albinism – lack of There is still a need for donations for
Tanggirang village, Central the pigment, melanin, in her hair Alba’s new home. Collected funds
Kalimantan. When rescued, Alba and skin – have been associated will be used to build the feeding
was dehydrated, weak and suffering with health complications such as platforms and security posts on the
from a parasitic infection. After poor eyesight, poor hearing, and island, and help us to provide her
months of specialist care, provided skin cancer, and make her more and the others with their daily needs.
by BOS and funded by you, her vulnerable to hunting or predation.
appetite has improved and her With your support, Alba and her new
Now, Alba is ready to be moved friends can explore their wild side
weight has increased. to a special man-made island that and live happily protected on this
Even though Alba has good encompasses 10 hectares of natural island sanctuary.
experience living in the wild (which habitat, where she will be able to
We love hearing from you
We know you’ve been spreading the orangutan word, so why not tell us about
what you’re up to? Email contact@orangutans.com.au or post your photos
online at facebook.com/bosaustralia or instagram/bosaustralia
Can you help us?
Your donations provide food, shelter, protection, medicine and companionship
Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia
for orangutans in our care. Visit www.orangutans.com.au to help us help them.
+ 61 2 9011 5455
PO Box 3916 Donations by cheque are payable to Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS)
Mosman NSW 2088 Australia at PO Box 3916, Mosman NSW 2088.
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Thank you for your continued support. at contact@orangutans.com.au
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