en.Sketsamalang.com – Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni released two male Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) into their natural habitat in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, a day after the animals were rescued from an oil palm plantation. The release highlights ongoing conservation efforts as wildfires and habitat loss continue to threaten orangutans across the region.
The orangutans, named Adil and Gigih, were rescued from an oil palm plantation in Laman Satong Village, Ketapang District, on October 23. Adil is more than eight years old, while Gigih is over 10 years old. The release was conducted by Antoni alongside Dr. Karmele Llano Sanchez, CEO of the Indonesian wildlife conservation nonprofit Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI), with support from Indonesian military and police personnel, according to the Ministry of Forestry’s statement reported by ANTARA News.
“While we are delighted that these orangutans have been rescued from the oil palm plantation, it is sad to realize that there remains a lot of work ahead of us for orangutans,” Antoni said, emphasizing the shared responsibility to protect their natural habitat, quoted from ANTARA News.
The minister stressed that conservation efforts must extend beyond rescuing animals and returning them to the wild. Protecting forests and ecosystems is essential to ensuring that orangutans can survive in their natural environment without repeatedly facing displacement.
“Hopefully, the release of these two orangutans will strengthen our shared commitment to protecting this species and its forests. With their habitat and ecosystem safeguarded, they will no longer need to be rescued and released in the future,” he said.
Antoni added that the Ministry of Forestry, YIARI, and other conservation partners would continue mitigation efforts to protect orangutans from threats, including forest and land fires. He also urged residents who encounter orangutans entering villages or plantations to contact official hotlines so trained teams can respond safely.
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The release comes amid mounting pressure on orangutan habitats in West Kalimantan. According to ANTARA News, the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and YIARI had rescued 46 orangutans affected by forest and land fires between August and October 9, 2026.
A subsequent ANTARA report published on October 19 put the number at 51 orangutans rescued from fire-affected areas in Ketapang and North Kayong districts between August 6 and October 10. The figures cover different reporting periods and should not be treated as contradictory.
Earlier in October, eight rescued orangutans that had been declared healthy were relocated to Batu Nyambu Protected Forest in Ketapang District. The relocation followed medical examinations and observation to assess their readiness to return to a suitable natural habitat.
The scale of these rescue operations underscores the risks facing orangutans when fires damage forests and leave wildlife isolated in fragmented habitat. Conservation teams have also reported that smoke and smoldering ground can complicate rescue operations.
Bornean orangutans are classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Their long-term survival depends not only on rescue and rehabilitation but also on protecting and restoring connected forest habitats, preventing fires, and reducing the loss of natural areas to plantation expansion.
The release of Adil and Gigih marks an important step in returning the two animals to the wild. However, as Antoni emphasized, lasting conservation will require sustained efforts to protect the forests they depend on.
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