Head of Data and Information at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho shared heartbreaking images of two orangutans who were recently rescued by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in Aceh. The two Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo Abelii) were rescued from a park in Bunga Tanjung Village, Subulussalam, Aceh. The first orangutan, OU is an adult female, she was suffering from severe injuries – 74 air rifle bullets were found in her body. The other rescued animal was her 1-month-old child, who died of severe nutritional deficiencies and trauma. Head of BKSDA Aceh, Sapto Aji Prabowo, reportedly heard about the torture a week ago. BKSDA then coordinated with other agencies to rescue them.
“OU was then taken to the Sibolangit rehabilitation center in North Sumatra, but the baby could not be saved,” Sapto said. BKSDA aims to eventually release OU into the wild once she recovers from her injuries.
Indonesian orangutans have faced many different threats throughout the years. The destruction of their natural habitat in order to make way for palm oil plantations, dams, and other industrial development are just some of them. As orangutans are forced to leave their habitat, they are more prone to be victims of illegal poaching. Baby orangutans are often taken as pets, while the older ones are likely to be sold by the criminals. Last year in Central Borneo, the body of an orangutan was found decapitated, with 17 bullet wounds to their body.
See: tourist-arrested-for-smuggling-drugged-orangutan
Source: Kompas
Image: Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (Twitter)