Helping hand for orang utan in captivity

PHOTO: REUTERS

A Bornean orang utan named Samson being rescued on Aug 5 from illegal captivity in Kendal, in Indonesia's Central Java province. Samson and Boboy - another Bornean orang utan also rescued from captivity - have been sent to a rehabilitation centre in Ketapang, in Borneo's West Kalimantan province, to assess whether they can be released back into the wild, a conservation group said. The two members of the critically endangered species, both male and estimated to be around 20 years old, had been kept in cages and were suffering from malnutrition when they were removed from an amusement park and a private family home respectively, according to a statement from International Animal Rescue. Both orang utans had been identified as being illegally held in captivity last October, and a rescue was arranged.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 19, 2020, with the headline Helping hand for orang utan in captivity. Subscribe