Update: Funding the Construction of Quarantine Enclosures at Sintang Orangutan Center

The Orangutan Conservancy is pleased to announce the approval of a substantial grant to Sintang Orangtuan Center in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Sintang Orangutan Center (SOC) is a mighty rehabilitation and care center located in West Kalimantan, an Indonesia province on the island of Borneo. They are a leading force in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of wild orangutans. They are also dedicated to the education of the local community, in an effort to end deforestation, hunting, and the orangutan pet trade in the area.

This grant will be used for the construction of special quarantine enclosures for new and incoming orangutans. The threat of COVID-19 has made it extremely important to ensure the health of each and every orangutan progressing through the rehabilitation program.

Currently, the isolation cages are located at SOC’s main campus which is located near encroaching human activity and settlements. Their proposal provides a plan to move, rebuild, and enhance the quarantine cages in their sister facility, the Jerora Forest School.

Pictured below are the plans to move and rebuild the quarantine cages to the Jerora Forest School.

Credit: Sintang Orangutan Center

Even though research has not definitively concluded that orangutans can experience and carry COVID-19 in the same way as humans, these new quarantine enclosures will help prevent any type of future outbreak. Additionally, the new quarantine structure will allow all new and incoming orangutans to properly acclimate to their temporary home while reducing the chances of affecting resident oranutans’ health.

Update 12/30/2020

We are happy to update you that our friends at Sintang Orangutan Center have progressed through the construction of their new isolation/quarantine enclosure at the Jerora Forest School that we funded!

This new orangutan enclosure is incredibly important for both the quarantining of newly rescued orangutans and isolating orangutans that have fallen ill so that they do not transmit disease to the other orangutans. This is especially important with the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The isolation enclosure is 6 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2.5 meters tall, and is divided into 3 separate cages. They also installed transparent acrylic panes for the orangutans can see the forest from the enclosure which will help alleviate any stress they may have in their new environment while protecting them and others from potential disease.

The construction of the isolation structure was divided into two processes. First, they had to make the cage compartment by having a welding workshop divide the cages into small parts that could be easily delivered to the Jerora Forest School. They were then able to construct the fences surrounding the isolation enclosure by creating the foundation to cement the iron frame.

The foundation construction began on July 28th, 2020 with the components being delivered from the welding workshop to the Jerora Forest School on August 24th, 2020. The cage assembly began on August 27th, 2020, and was completed in September 2020.

The roof and transparent acrylic pane construction was carried out from September 18th, 2020 and was completed on December 16th, 2020.

The Orangutan Conservancy was honored to be apart of the construction of this enclosure, and we hope to continue to support the Sintang Orangutan Center!

Update 6/29/2021

As you may know, last year we funded the Sintang Orangutan Center‘s new quarantine/isolation enclosure at the Jerora Forest School.

Sinta | Courtesy of SOC

The enclosure’s first resident since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived May 1st, 2021. The orangutan is named Sinta, who is an 8 year old female orangutan. She was handed over to SOC voluntarily by her “owners” from Tangerang City. She had been kept for nearly 7 years until she was sent to the Jakarta BKSDA, and temporarily was held at Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Center. There, she was tested for various health concerns, such as TB, Human Hepatitis B, SIV, and PCR for SARS CoV2. Along with those tests, she was DNA tested to determine where she would be repatriated (Kalimantan or Sumatra).

The DNA tests were returned after about a month, and it was determined that Sinta is a Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), meaning that she can be released into Kalimantan with the rest of the Bornean orangutan population.

Sinta was transferred to SOC’s care after close coordination with the Ministry, Jakarta, and W. Kalimantan nature conservation office so she can begin the rehabilitation progress.

Sinta will be in the quarantine cage for approximately 2 months in order to ensure that she is both healthy enough and passes the adaptation period. After these 2 months, Sinta will finally be able to join the other orangutans at the Jerora 2 Forest School program.

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Last year, The Orangutan Conservancy provided funding for Sintang Orangutan Center (SOC) to purchase an X-ray machine for their clinic and rehabilitation center in West Kalimantan.
Back in 2020, The Orangutan Conservancy funded Borneo Nature Foundation's (BNF) 1,000-meter boardwalk. This boardwalk is 20cm wide, made of Banaus wood, and allows for access for seedling mobilization, planting, and monitoring by the BNF team.
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