November 12, 2018

BACK HOME, LECI AND NOVI HAPPILY HUG EACH OTHER

Finally, after the long road of medical check up and administration process of the release of four orangutans that will be held this year in Lesan River Protected Forest (HLSL), Berau, East Kalimantan, orangutan Leci and Novi were released on Nov 3rd, 2018. The release was the second COP’s ex-rehabilitated orangutan release after the release of orangutan Oki in 2017.

“There will be two possibilities, either they will go straightly into the jungle or turn back and attack the guests. Then, please do not get closer to the cage.”, said Reza Kurniawan, the Captain of APE Guardian team, a moment before release while directing guests to stand behind the COP line which was at a distance of 20 m to the cage. I was worried that Leci and Novi would turn back and attack the guests. But, when the first cage opened by Ir. Saerozi Ahmad, the head of B2P2EHD, with Hardi Baktiantoro, the principal of COP, Leci came out briskly into the jungle, climbed a tree,and hang on the tree. And not long after, the second cage containing Novi was opened by Ir. Sunandar Trigunajasa, the Head of BKSDA of East Kalimantan with Hardi Baktiantoro, Novi came out and walked into the forest.

After a moment, a sound came from above the tree. It was Leci and Novi meeting up! They looked like hugging each other and holding hands as they were hanging on the trees. As if they were delighted to return to their habitat. Welcome back home, Leci and Novi! Hope you both always be healthy and happy! (SAR)

KEMBALI KE RUMAH, LECI DAN NOVI BERPELUKAN BAHAGIA
Akhirnya, setelah perjalanan panjang pemeriksaan medis dan urusan administrasi untuk pelepasliaran 4 individu orangutan yang akan dilepasliarkan tahun ini di Hutan Lindung Sungai Lesan (HLSL), Berau, Kalimantan Timur, orangutan Leci dan Novi dapat dilepasliarkan pada tanggal 3 November 2018 yang lalu. Pelepasliaran ini adalah pelepasliaran kedua dari orangutan eks-rehabilitasi COP setelah pelepasliaran orangutan Oki Tahun 2017 yang lalu.

“Terdapat dua kemungkinan saat orangutan dilepasliarkan, entah dia akan langsung masuk ke dalam hutan atau berbalik menyerang ke arah kita. Jadi mohon jangan mendekat ke arah kandang.”, ujar Reza Kurniawan, kapten tim APE Guardian, sesaat sebelum pelepasliaran sambil mengarahkan para tamu untuk berdiri di belakang garis COP yang berjarak 20 m dari kandang pelepasliaran. Sempat cemas kalau-kalau Leci dan Novi akan berbalik dan menyerang para tamu. Namun saat kandang pertama dibuka oleh Ir. Saerozi Ahmad, kepala B2P2EHD, bersama Hardi Baktiantoro, ketua COP, Leci keluar dengan lincahnya masuk ke dalam hutan dan langsung memanjat dan bergelantungan di atas pohon. Lalu tidak lama setelahnya, kandang kedua yang berisi Novi dibuka oleh Ir. Sunandar Trigunajasa, Kepala Balai KSDA Kaltim bersama Hardi Baktiantoro. Novi pun keluar dan berjalan masuk ke hutan dengan cepat. “Untung saja tim dokumentasi sudah bersiap, kalau tidak, momen itu akan terlewat.”, ujar Sari Fitriani, alumni COP School Batch 8 yang ikut terlibat dalam persiapan pelepasliaran Novi dan Leci.

Lalu tidak lama kemudian, terdengar suara dari atas pohon. Ternyata Leci dan Novi bertemu! Mereka seperti berpelukan dan berpegangan tangan sambil bergelantungan di atas pohon. Seakan-akan sangat senang dapat kembali ke habitat aslinya. Selamat kembali ke rumah Leci dan Novi. Semoga sehat dan selalu! (SAR)

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November 10, 2018

IN 5 HOURS, LECI AND NOVI DISAPPEAR

The first week of November was a week of great relief. The release of Novi and Leci began with a series of ceremonies at the Lesan Dayak village hall. The team was very grateful, the director of Biodiversity Conservation (Konservasi Keanekaragaman Hayati – KKH). drh. Indra Exploitasia, M.Si speed up the ceremony, so that the monitoring team had the opportunity to follow the two orangutans longer. “ Mrs. Indra really understands our condition. Because after the cage opened, wherever orangutan goes, we have to follow them to make sure that they can survive in their new home.”, said Reza Kurniawan, the captain of APE Guardian COP.

At 11.00 WITA, via river and land, the release team came to release point. In less than 5 secs, Leci already on the tree and started to drive the team away. Not long after that, Novi’s cage was opened. In about 5 hours, the team recorded Novi and Leci’s activities. They were seen together and sounded like they wanted to be left alone.

At 16.00 WITA o’clock, the monitoring team lost track of Novi and Leci. “Both of these orangutans are like wild orangutans. It’s very difficult to follow them. Their fast move make it difficult for the team to catch up.”, said Bit, a local ranger who had known the forest for a long time.

After the release, the monitoring team continued to patrol every morning and evening with different routes, hoping to meet one of the two released orangutan. For almost two weeks, the team still haven’t had meet them. (SAR)

DALAM WAKTU 5 JAM, LECI DAN NOVI PUN HILANG
Minggu pertama November adalah minggu yang sangat melegakan. Pelepasliaran orangutan Novi dan Leci diawali serangkaian seremoni di Balai Kampung Lesan Dayak. Tim bersyukur sekali, direktur KKH (Konservasi Keanekaragaman Hayati) drh. Indra Exploitasia, M.Si mempercepat upacara ini, sehingga tim monitoring berkesempatan untuk mengikuti kedua orangutan lebih lama lagi. “Ibu Indra benar-benar memahami kondisi kami. Karena setelah pintu kandang dibuka, kemana pun orangutan pergi, kami harus mengikutinya untuk memastikan, orangutan mampu bertahan di rumah barunya.”, ujar Reza Kurniawan, kapten APE Guardian COP.

Pukul 11.00 WITA, melalui jalur sungai dan darat, tim pelepasliaran tiba di titik pelepasliaran. Tidak sampai 5 detik, Leci sudah berada di atas pohon dan mulai mengusir tim. Tak lama kemudian pintu kandang Novi pun dibuka. Selama kurang lebih lima jam, tim masih mencatat aktivitas Novi maupun Leci. Mereka terlihat berdua dan mengeluarkan suara mengusir.

Tepat pukul 16.00 WITA, tim monitoring kehilangan jejak Novi dan Leci. “Kedua orangutan ini sudah seperti orangutan liar. Sulit sekali mengikuti mereka. Gerakan yang cepat membuat tim kesulitan mengejar.”, ujar Bit, ranger lokal yang sudah mengenal hutan ini sejak lama.

Paska pelepasliaran, tim monitoring masih terus patroli setiap pagi dan sore hari dengan jalur yang berbeda, tentu saja berharap bertemu dengan salah satu dari kedua orangutan yang dilepasliarkan. Hampir dua minggu, tim masih tak berjumpa juga. (NIK)

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November 9, 2018

A PROCESS JUST LIKE SCHOOL

We simplified the rehabilitation of orangutans just like school process. Because orangutan rehabilitation centre is not an animal breed. Most of orangutans who entered the rehabilitation centre are the victims of conflicts such as illegally kept as pet and have medical issues (got trapped, etc)

Orangutans that have been long in captivity are not good at climbing. They do not know how to find food, make a nest, even they do not know who their natural enemies are. They’re no longer orangutans, but have became a citizen.

During their time in rehabilitation centre, orangutans will go to school forest i.e. their cage will be open every morning and animal keepers will take them to “school” in the jungle. Animal keepers are not their teachers who teach, but other orangutans in the same class will become their stimulant or examples for others to follow and imitate. In the evening, they return to their cage.

We analogize entering elementary school as learning how to climb, moving from one tree to another, until well practiced. Then, they’ll enter senior high school to learn how to find and recognize their natural food and learn to make nests. We consider they’ve entered the senior high school when they start skipping a lot, which they tend to disappear in the school forest, not willing to go back when it’s late, because they’re already comfortable in their nests. That’s the sign that they’re becoming wild.

Before they are released, orangutans need to enter a higher degree of school, that is an “university” in the form of island. COP Borneo, which located in Berau, East Kalimantan, has that “university” or pre-release island. An island with fig trees, which is orangutan’s favourite, is the training place for orangutans who have passed ‘high school’. They are left outside in the sun or rain, no more cages, only food will be given in the morning and evening. On average, they train independently for 1-2 years. Once their behaviour considerably good, then they will undergo a final defense session that is final medical examination. if they pass, the orangutans will be graduated by releasing them back to their natural habitat.

Novi’s story, as a male orangutan who were forced to separate with his mother, taken care illegally by locals with chain on his neck (because it’s cheaper and easier to maintain than an iron cage), confiscated, rehabilitated, and finally released in early November 2018.

Novi is known as a smart orangutan and high adaptability, when his friends were still in ‘elementary school’, he was already in ’senior high school’. That’s how we simplify a rehabilitation process. The process takes a long time and costs a lot, so please do not buy and pet wild animals! (SAR)

PROSES SEPERTI KITA SEKOLAH
Kami menyederhanakan orangutan yang masuk rehabilitasi seperti proses sekolah. Karena pusat rehabilitasi orangutan bukanlah penangkaran. Mayoritas orangutan yang masuk rehabilitasi adalah dari konflik seperti pemeliharaan ilegal dan ada faktor medis (seperti terjerat, dll).

Orangutan yang lama dipelihara tidak pandai memanjat, tidak mengerti mencari makan, tidak tau membuat sarang dan tidak tahu musuh alaminya. Bukan lagi orangutan tetapi menjadi orang kota.

Selama di pusat rehabilitasi, orangutan akan sekolah hutan yatu setiap pagi kandan dibuka dan diajak ‘sekolah’ di hutan. Animal keeper bukanlah guru yang mengajar tapi orangutan lain yang satu kelas dengannya yang akan menjadi perangsang atau contoh agar yang lain mengikuti dan mencontoh. Ketika sudah sore, orangutan kembali lagi ke kandang.

Kami mengibaratkan masuk SD yaitu belajar memanjat, berpindah dari pohon ke pohon hingga mahir. Kemudian akan masuk SMP untuk belajar mencari dan mengenali pakan alaminya dan belajar membuat sarang. Kami menganggap masuk SMA ketika mulai banyak bolosnya, yaitu sering menghilang ketika sekolah hutan, tidak mau pulang ketika sore karena sudah nyaman di sarangnya dan itu tandanya dia meliar.

Sebelum dilepasliarkan, orangutan perlu dikuliahkan, berupa masuk ‘universitas’ berbentuk pulau. COP Borneo yang berada di Berau, Kalimantan Timur memiliki ‘universitas’ atau pulau pra-rilis. Pulau alami dengan pepohonan ara yang disukai orangutan inilah para orangutan yang suka membolos itu berlatih. Mereka dibiarkan kena panas, hujan, tak ada lagi kandang hanay dukungan pakan di pagi dan sore hari saja yang masih diberikan. Rata-rata mereka berlatih secara mandiri sekitar 1-2 tahun. Ketika perilaku mereka sudah dianggap layak, maka mereka akan ‘sidang skripsi’ berupa pemeriksaan medis akhir. Jika lulus, maka orangutan diwisuda dengan dilepasliarkan kembali ke habitatnya.

Kisah Novi, orangutan jantan yang dipaksa berpisah dari induknya, dipelihara secara ilegal dengan rantai di lehernya (karena murah dan aman, kalau bikin kandang besi mahal), disita, direhabilitasi dan akhirnya dilepasliarkan pada awal November 2018 lalu.

Mengenal Novi sebagai orangutan cerdas dengan adaptasi yang tinggi, ketika teman-temannya masih di kelas SD, dia sudah di tingkatan SMA. Begitulah kami menyederhanakan sebuah proses rehabilitasi. Proses ini memakan waktu lama dan biaya tinggi, jadi mohon jangan membeli dan memelihara satwa liar! (DAN)

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