This summer I had the unique opportunity to visit Central Kalimantan to see the area in which the Orangutan Foundation operates.
I have been interning with the Foundation for 4 months, and I’m familiar with many of the areas they protect, although by name only.
Therefore, it was a pleasure to see these landmarks in the flesh and meet the Indonesian team that work so hard to protect them.
The various camps are most easily reached via Kalimantan’s river systems.
As I travelled down river by speedboat, the waterfront houses of Pangkalan Bun quickly turned into dense forest.
Noteworthy sightswere various indicators of habitat loss, such as logs being transported towards the town.
Kingfishers darted in front of the boat so fast that getting a good photo was impossible!
I first visited the site of the new guard post where this year’s volunteers were making excellent headway into its construction.
The volunteers were a hardworking, dedicated bunch from all walks of life!
They were all dedicated to the cause and felt genuine, collective concern for the threat of habitat loss, highlighted by the constant stream of reminders around them.
They spoke of awaking to the sound of chainsaws, highlighting the need for a guard post in the area.
Afterward, I got to visit Camp Buluh. This is the current home of Sugih, a 5-year-old female who was rescued by OF, previously kept as a pet.
Foundation staff informed me that she had made good progress, she was behaving as a wild orangutan should – encouraging news.
Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Orangutan Foundation: Adventures in Borneo
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