We are thrilled to report that Carlos has been released into the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest!
Carlos leaving his transport crate
This wonderful day would not have been possible without the unwavering support from his adopters over the years.
Our friends at the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation have cared for Carlos since he was a baby. They undertook the release with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia (KLHK) and the Natural Resources Conservation Centre (BKSDA) of Central Kalimantan.
As an orphaned male orangutan, Carlos was rescued from Parenggean Village, Kotawaringin Timur Regency, Central Kalimantan, on 6 February 2004. When he arrived at the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centre, he was 12 months old and weighed only 2.8 kilograms.
After passing quarantine, Carlos attended Jungle School for many years. He then graduated to the pre-release stage of rehabilitation on Kaja Island on 28 November 2018. While not a dominant figure, Carlos is a clever individual who has been able to defend himself when he felt threatened.
Carlos is now 20 years old, and after undergoing a 19-year rehabilitation process at Nyaru Menteng, is ready to explore the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest as a true, wild orangutan. Since the release sites are in very remote locations, it was decided to fly the orangutans there by helicopter to maximise efficiency and minimise the stress for the orangutans. The orangutan cages were first transported from the rehabilitation centres to the helicopter staging locations by car. They were then loaded into a sling load beneath the helicopter and flown to the selected drop points. Following the landing, the orangutans made the final leg of the journey by boat to their release points.
Carlos was very eager to exit his transport crate and venture up into the canopy of the Bornean jungle where he was stolen from all those years ago. He is finally home.
Carlos has a small transmitter inserted beneath his skin between his shoulder blades. The post-release monitoring team will continue nest-to-nest monitoring of Carlos for some time to ensure he adapts well to the wild. Following that, the team will maintain ongoing monitoring if they are able to track his location through the signals from his transmitter.
We are so happy that the handsome Carlos has finally returned to his true forest home. Thank you to all his adopters for helping Carlos on his long journey to forest freedom.
