Visit of USAID & American Congress to Salat Island

SSMS with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) released two orangutans in Salat Island on 9 August 2019.

Two orangutans released, 24-year-old is Bonbon, were male, and 23-year-old is Kheal was female. The two orangutans were released on Badak kecil Island, which is where the orangutans adapt to know the wild before being released into their real habitat.

The orangutan release also welcomed a visit from USAID and representatives from the American Congress to Salat Island.
 

USAID & American Congress visited in order to see the seriousness of BOSF in collaboration with SSMS in preserving orangutans.

Salat Island is one of the SSMS sustainability program, steps which is the pledge of SSMS in preserving orangutans. With BOSF, Salat Island was formed to be a home for orangutans. Many orangutans are cared for and trained to live in the wild here.

SSMS Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Nicholas J. Whittle said SSMS was proud to be able to work with BOSF in carrying out this very important conservation project. "In biginning, at the start of this project, and from the explanation from BOSF, we together prepared land in total of 2.000143  Ha that is specifically for orangutan conservation. Being here, orangutans can be prepared to live in the wild".

BOSF CEO Jamartin Sihite added, our common goal is how the orangutan can live in nature. "So if it is deemed ready, of course it will soon be released into the wild. This is a step to get orangutans to get to know their habitat. So with this pre-release they can find the instinct to live in nature ". Orangutans will be truly released into the wild if they are declared ready, with several stages, through a number of surveys, and observations.