There is no wild orangutan population in Salat Nusa Island ..."Palangka Raya (ANTARA News) - The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation plans to make Salat Nusa Island in Pulang Pisau district, Central Kalimantan province, a new habitat for orangutans that cannot be released in the wild.
The island is an ideal orangutan habitat as it has well-preserved vegetation throughout the year, Nyaru Menteng Program Manager Denny Kurniawan stated here on Monday.
"There is no wild orangutan population in Salat Nusa Island, so it is a suitable location for orangutans that cannot be released in the wild," he noted.
He forecast that nearly 10 percent of the orangutans being rehabilitated by the BOS Foundation cannot be released in the wild due to various reasons, including the presence of high-risk diseases, physical handicap, and lack of skills to survive in the wild due to prolonged captivity as a result of being kept as pets for protracted periods of time.
The problems could be overcome by creating a special habitat, which is not accessible to wild orangutans, he explained.
"The land in Badak Besar and Badak Kecil areas in Salat Nusa Island has not been exploited. We hope that we could use the land," he pointed out.
Only 665 hectares of the islands total area of 3,419 hectares would be developed into a new habitat for the orangutans, he said.
The plan had received the support of both the local people and government, he added.
Furthermore, the local people have agreed to the compensation amount to be paid for their land and plantations, which would be transformed into a new habitat for orangutans deemed unfit for release in the wild.
(Reported by Jaya Wirawana Manurung/Uu.INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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