An Orangutan Evacuated from Oil Palm Plantation in North Sumatra

TheIndonesia.id - The Center for Natural Resources Conservation (BBKSDA) in North Sumatra was forced to anaesthetize one Sumatran orangutan in order to safely rescue it from oil palm plantation in Mekar Makmur village, Langkat regency.

BBKSDA North Sumatra revealed that the animal was shot with an anaesthetic before it was evacuated from the plantation area owned by oil palm company PT Perkebunan Inti Sawit Subur (PISS).

“Orangutan was successfully evacuated after previously shot with anaesthetic dart by medical team from BBKSDA North Sumatra and YOSL-AIC [Yayasan Orangutan Sumatera Lestari-Orangutan Information Center] on Tuesday [May 31] at about 12.58 p.m. Western Indonesian Time,” the BBKSDA’s public relations Andoko Hidayat said in a statement on Thursday, June 2, as reported by Antara.

Upon identification, it was also reported that the 12-year-old female Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) was in healthy condition despite looking a bit thin, presumably due to lack of food in the plantation area.

There was no wound or mark of firearm shot found on the orangutan.

The wildlife also showed its wild nature, so Gunung Leuser National Park Center decided to immediately release the orangutan to the national park’s area – after installing microchip on and administering vitamins to the animal.

Hidayat said another orangutan had yet to be rescued from the oil palm plantation as PT PISS reported two orangutan in their area on May 25.

The whereabouts of the two animals had been known for a while but officers faced difficulty in identifying their exact positions because they continued to move, including to the company’s working area.

Along with YOSL-OIC and PT PISS, BBKSDA North Sumatra worked to identify the location, monitor the animals’ movements, and plan emergency rescue since the area is not an ideal habitat for orangutan and is located relatively far from Gunung Leuser National Park.

“The orangutans’ presence inside the plantation area is feared to eventually endanger them because it can create conflict with plantation workers and residents,” explained.