TEMPO.CO, Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan - Two orangutans were released into the wild in Seruyan, Central Kalimantan, by the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), a non-profit organization established to conserve orangutans and their natural habitats, along with Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) / PT SMART.
"Watching the disappearance of orangutans in the wild concerns us. It is imperative for business makers to actively participate in conservation efforts and establish firm policies in protecting orangutans within their companys territory to prevent their extinction," said Professor Birute Galdikas, Founder and President of Orangutan Foundation International, in a press release received on Thursday.
The release of the two orangutans highlights the importance of cooperation and support from the private sector to protect the species from extinction.
The International Union for the Convention of Nature (IUCN) recently released the latest conservation status, in which orangutans have moved from endangered to critically endangered, one level from extinction.
"Through this cooperation between OFI, Kalimantan International Orangutan Foundation (YOIK), and PT SMART, we hope that we are able to stop the orangutan population from declining, even turning it around and increasing the population," Galdikas said.
On the same occasion, a spokesperson of PT SMART, Agung Purnomo, said that the company is committed to supporting orangutan conservation efforts in Indonesia, both through cooperation with conservation organizations, such as OFI and through companys policies to ensure the survival of orangutans in his companys palm oil plantation areas.
The company has also introduced the Zero Tolerance Policy to protect endangered wild animals, which has been carried out through training programs for employees in conserving orangutans.
Conducted a few weeks before International Orangutan Day every August 19, the release of the orangutans was witnessed by a representative from the Natural Resources Conservation Hall and Tanjung Puting National Park Hall, PT SMART Managing Director for Sustainability and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Agung Purnomo, as well as Professor Birute Galdikas, Founder and President of Orangutan Foundation International
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