The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) has evacuated Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) in the gardens belonging to residents in Bunga Tanjung Village, Sultan Daulat Sub-District, Subulussalam City, Aceh. The Sumatran orangutan was evacuated after being shot by 74 bullets.
The Aceh BKSDA team together with WCS-IP and HOCRU-OIC personnel took to the location and succeeded in evacuating two orangutans consisting of children and their parents, on Sunday, March 10, 2019. Evacuation was carried out after they received a report from the community.
From the initial inspection in the field, it was found that the orangutan mother was seriously injured due to injuries to her right hand, right leg and back.
In addition, it was also found that the two main orangutan eyes were seriously injured by air rifle fire. While the 1-month-old orangutan baby, in a state of severe malnutrition and severe shock.
The team then rushed to bring the two orangutans to the Orangutan Quarantine Center in Sibolangit, North Sumatra, managed by the Sustainable Ecosystem Foundation (YEL) through the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program (SOCP), for intensive care.
However, in the course of the child the orangutan died due to malnutrition. From the results of x-ray examinations at the Orangutan Quarantine Center, 74 rifle bullets were found scattered throughout the body.
Adult orangutans are still unstable so they will still be in treatment cages to get 24-hour intensive care.
The parent of the 30-year-old Sumatran orangutan is then given the name HOPE, which means "HOPE", with hope, Hope can recover and be able to get a better chance of life.
Meanwhile the KLHK strongly condemned the actions taken by irresponsible people who persecuted the protected wildlife.
The Aceh BKSDA has coordinated with the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the LHK, to thoroughly investigate the case of the deaths of Sumatran orangutans and the persecution of their mothers, in Subulussalam.