It’s sad enough that orangutans in Indonesia are endangered due to their natural habitats being rapidly destroyed due to deforestation, but what’s even worse is that many of the displaced apes, especially orphans, are then caught by poachers to be sold as pets for the amusement of owners who could care less about their well-being.
Kotap, a baby orangutan who was being kept as a pet in a remote village in West Kalimantan, Borneo, had suffered that grim fate for two years. Kept inside a tiny wooden cage, without even a view of the outside world, he was found with nothing but an empty water bottle and a straw to keep him company.
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Fortunately, Kotap’s story has a happy ending. The baby orangutan was rescued recently thanks to reports made to environmental NGO International Animal Rescue (IAR), which works tirelessly to save and rehabilitate orangutans in Borneo. Members of IAR and officials from the forestry department (BKSDA) of West Kalimantan came to the village to free Kotap from his tiny wooden prison.
The moment he first tentatively peers outside of his cage is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
According to a report about the rescue on IAR’s website: When the door of the box was opened and vet Uwi extended her hand to Kotap, at first he was frightened and ran to the back of the box where he couldn’t be reached. After years in the darkness, he clearly found the sight and sound of the outside world quite terrifying.
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Uwi said: “Kotap was very stressed by all the strangers who gathered to see him when he was taken out of the box. He became nervous and aggressive which is not surprising. So during the long journey back to the centre we kept people away from him so that he remained as quiet and calm as possible.”
IAR has taken Kotap to one of their rescue centers for treatment and rehabilitation. Hopefully he will be able to recover from the trauma of his captivity and one day be returned to the wild where he belongs.
If you are interested in supporting the work of IAR and their Orangutan Rescue Centers, check out their website for more information.
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