FNPF has been working in Tanjung Puting National Park since 1997, and in Lamandau Reserve since 2009.
Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) rehabilitation and release program was FNPF’s first wildlife conservation work since we starting the organisation in 1997. In 1998 we were invited by the park management to manage the 3 orangutan rehabilitation posts in Tanjung Puting National Park, located at Tanjung Harapan, Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leaky. We did not much work at Camp Leaky area because it was considered a research area.
FNPF staff member, Adun, training a young Orangutan
During 1997 – 2002 period we successfully rehabilitated and released 20 orangutan into the wild primarily from the post at Pondok Tanggui. Our ability for rehab and release was noted because all of the orangutan we rehab and release have survuived in the wild long after their release.
In 2002 we stopped doing orangutan rehabilitation and release program because new regulations restrict the release of orangutan that have been in contact with humans into an area with a wild population (this is in case of bringing diseases to the wild population). Since 2002 our work with orangutan is doing rescue and translocation of wild orangutan from outside of the National Park, such as farm, palm oil plantation or village, to a safe protected area, such as Tanjung Puting National Park or Lamandau Reserve. In 2010 we rescued 2 orangutan from palm oil plantation (see our News item for 3rd and 4th quarter of 2010). This activity is possible because after so many running community development and education programmes in the area, we have built a good relationship with the village communities around the park. These program make the people more aware of the threat to the orangutan and it’s habitat and that has made them much more willing to support our work by contactign us whenever they find wild orangutan. Previously the local people would kill them as a pest.
"Winki" the sun bear
Beside orangutan we also had rehabilitated and released a sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) that we got from a tourist who found them at somebody’s house in the town in 2003. This sun bear released may be the only success release of this species so far in the park. Beside rehab and release we also rescued sun bear in 2008 from a trap that people set in the park. (Click here to read more about Winki the Sun Bear).
We do turtle conservation project by mobilizing support from the local community at a village by the park named Sungai Cabang to protect the turtle nesting site from traditional custom of collecting turtle egg, and also from the natural predator such as wild boar and dog. Giving understanding about sustainability of food source and the important of turtle conservation the people at Sungai Cabang Village willing to protect about 2.8 km beach where turtle use to lay egg from turtle egg collection and move them to the hatchery that we set up. We ran the hatchery at the village for 2 years between 2006 – 2007 and we released about 2,000 hatchling back to the wild. It was a great success and we had the support of the local community. But due to lack of funds, we have have put the project on hold (we need approximately $7,500 per annum to run the project). Please contact us if you would like to support FNPF’s sea turtle project in Kalimantan.
The other wildlife program that we run is to help any wildlife that we can rehab, release and protect in the park. Some of the animal need to be helped because they been kept illegally in captivity, or because they went out from the safe area in the park / forest to plantation or farm, some of them need more secure place to live and breed.
