Time to return to the wild

Leo, an orphaned baby Sumatran orang utan, clings to a veterinarian from the Sumatran Orang Utan Conservation Programme (SOCP) at a Reintroduction Centre in the Jantho Pine Forest Nature Reserve in Aceh.

Due to increasing habitat loss and fragmentation, orang utan populations are in rapid decline in both Sumatra and Borneo.

The SOCP aims to establish new populations of the species at its two Reintroduction Centres.

This shot, captured by photographer Sutanta Aditya, was entered in Shoot for Sustainability - a regional photography competition organised by National Geographic and Temasek.

Part of the Ecosperity conference, the competition aims to inspire greater appreciation for the environment.

The top 20 entries, out of 1,500 submissions, are exhibited at the Ecosperity Showcase in Marina Bay Sands until tomorrow.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 06, 2019, with the headline Time to return to the wild. Subscribe