Art For Orangutan adalah suatu event dari kreatifitas kelompok pendukung Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP). Event yang sudah berlangsung sebanyak dua kali ini meninggalkan cerita menarik yang mengharukan, lucu hingga membuat orang menantikan kapan Art For Orangutan akan dilaksanakan lagi. Ini semua tak lepas dari kerja keras dari Gigi Nyala, I AM Project dan teman-teman seniman lainnya. Tak sekedar pameran karya seni, tapi usaha menjaring kepedulian kita pada lingkungan terutama satwa liar orangutan.

“H-10 nih! Baru 2 karya yang masuk. Gimana nih? Kalau ngak ada karya yang masuk dengan ruangan pameran yang lebih besar dari AFO tahun 2014, akan kita isi apa?”, pikir Ramadhani, direktur operasional COP.

“Tenang-tenang… banyak nih yang belum selesai. Biasanya karya akan datang di hari yang sangat dekat acara. Kebiasaan nih.”, ujar Ivan si punggawa Gigi Nyala.

Benar saja, tujuh hari sebelum acara, satu persatu karya berdatangan dari luar kota. Jakarta, Bali, Makasar, Kalimantan, Sumatera bahkan dari Australia. Rumah tempat mengumpulkan karya pun menjadi penuh dan begitu sibuknya. Panitia yang ikut mengirimkan karya sampai tak punya waktu menyelesaikan karyanya. Sampai ada yang hingga hari akhir pengumpulan, karyanya baru selesai, dengan cat yang masih basah sampai di camp APE Warrior, Yogyakarta.

Sesampainya karya, masih dalam bungkus, satu persatu di foto. Pertama kali dibuka bungkusnya, difoto lagi, hingga akhirnya karya keluar dari bungkusnya, semua terdokumentasi. Sikap profesional Gigi Nyala untuk menghargai setiap karya patut diancungi jempol.

Kehati-hatian para panitia memperlakukan sebuah karya tak lepas dari pengalaman Art For Orangutan pertama. Tak jarang, bingkai kaca yang dikirim peserta hancur selama pengiriman. Kaca yang tipis, pemaketan yang kurang pelindung menjadikan karya tidak sempurna sampai di tangan panitia. Dengan dokumentasi yang detil, panitia akan mengkomunikasikan, kecacatan atau kejanggalan karya, termasuk jika ada yang harus diganti seperti kaca atau bingkai.

Karya yang masuk naik 50% dari tahun 2014. Jenis karya pun semakin bervariasi. Tidak terbatas pada ukuran maupun dimensi. Untuk mengangkut karya ke ruang pameran dari rumah pengumpulan karya, tak cukup satu hari. Hujan pun tak mau kalah untuk semakin merepotkan panitia. Dengan mobil box, dengan penuh kehati-hatian saat menyetirnya, akhirnya karya sampai di ruang pameran. (bersambung).

Social media has always been a good way of getting the message across to the world just by a click. Before coming to COP Borneo, I always thought it was “cool” saving the orangutan because you get to be on the media and all. Little did I realize that this was more than a hero’s job and how endless and tireless the team works. Listening to Linus and Reza story me about the rescue missions and behaviors of these beautiful brown souls only fueled me up even more to want to work in this field. The team is more of a family than just keepers, vets and team leaders. I helped them clean the cages to know what it’s like to be a keeper because I have always believed that it is important to know wildlife from scratch. No one earns their way up by not knowing the basics and that definitely includes cage cleaning.

Saving the orangutans I believe is the bridge to saving the forest and the life it contains and perhaps, humanity too. How can we allow destruction to a species that are in so many ways, just like us? Has greed consumed so much for our growing population that we tend to forget these simple and important things in life? Poaching these wildlife to keep them as pets or sell them to the wildlife trade is as mean as it can get. This is merely taking something that does not belong to us. Clearing the land for palm oil plantation and coal mining and not taking responsibility that has caused harm upon the homes of these animals? That is purely selfish. When there are those who destroy the forest, always remember there will always be good, dedicated, hardworking and responsible people who will keep fighting against it. We have to wake up before we lose our forest forever to the hands of irresponsible people.

When you have spent long enough with an orangutan or any other species of animal, you will realize that we are not planet earths only thinking species. With the dwindling number of Orangutans in the wild and them now being an endangered species, I personally think it’s important for everyone to help and protect them and the other wildlife as well. We need to stop saying “Let them do it” and realize that each of us play a part in their survival.

Am extremely thankful to have attended COP school and to be able to know and keep myself updated with the current status and issues of wildlife and conservation. I would personally like to thank the Captain of Ape Guardian, Paulinus Kristianto, the Captain of Ape Defender, Reza, Drh Ade, Wety, Uci and the whole team who have taught me so much about the meaning of conservation and what it truly means to be dedicated in fighting for the wildlife, forest and the people. I have learned more than just veterinary medicine. I saw the strength of team work and hard work. Thank you for teaching me the essentials of conservation. Come time, I hope to work alongside with these amazing and dedicated people.

To come together and work as one, I believe everyone should hold this quote deeply.
 “Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors ~ Andrew Boyd” 
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. (Charisha_Orangufriends)