Balikpapan. After living in cages for more than 10 years and being illegally kept by residents, two male orangutans named Mungky and Dodo were finally rescued and transferred to the Orangutan Sanctuary Center (PSO) of the Arsari Foundation in the Nusantara Capital City area.

Previously, Mungky and Dodo had undergone a long rehabilitation process. However, since they could not be released back into the wild, they were relocated to the PSO of the Arsari Foundation.

The Vice Chairperson of the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation (YAD), Indrawati Djojohadikusumo, said that Mungky and Dodo were rescued from two different provinces. Mungky, a 24-year-old, came from the Jerora Forest School in Sintang, West Kalimantan.

Meanwhile, Dodo, a 29-year-old male orangutan, was rescued by the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) along with the Cikananga Wildlife Rescue Center (PPS) from illegal captivity in Bogor.

“Currently, Mungky and Dodo are being cared for at the Arsari PSO. Once Kelawasan Island is ready, both of them will be moved there. They will be able to breathe fresh air in the forest—although not in the deep jungle, Kelawasan Island is a conservation area designed to resemble the natural habitat of orangutans,” she explained.

The relocation process of Mungky and Dodo was quite emotional. Mungky had to travel by land for eight hours to Supadio Airport in West Kalimantan, then continue by air with a transit at Soekarno-Hatta Airport before arriving at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan. From there, he was transported by land and arrived at the Arsari PSO at night.

Meanwhile, Dodo had to travel by air with logistical support through door-to-door service from KirimAja. His journey started in Sukabumi, West Java, and ended in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.

Indrawati explained that this relocation also symbolizes multi-stakeholder cooperation involving the government, through the East and West Kalimantan BKSDA, the West Java BKSDA, as well as the Nusantara Capital Authority.

“We are grateful to all partner institutions such as SOC and PPS Cikananga, as well as private companies like KirimAja that supported the expedition services. All parties have contributed to the relocation of Mungky and Dodo,” she said.

Hari Agung Saputra, Director of KirimAja, stated that through this involvement, his company wanted to show the public that airfreight services provide unmatched value for the safety and security of wildlife compared to other modes of transportation.

“We also provided easy access for companions such as animal welfare officers, animal keepers, and veterinarians to accompany the animals throughout the shipping process because we understand the importance of safety monitoring and the animals’ condition during the journey,” he explained.

Andri Hansen Siregar, Head of Technical Division at the West Java BKSDA, emphasized that although Mungky and Dodo are now in the right place, there is still a major challenge: restoring orangutan behavior as wild animals.

“Dodo’s relocation is something that deserves appreciation and support from many parties as an effort to return this endemic species to their homeland,” he said.

Dodo is a special case as he has never experienced freedom. Since infancy, he was illegally taken and kept in a cage. “Although medically Dodo is healthy, his survival instinct is very limited because he has lived in captivity since birth. Therefore, we hope that Dodo can live a prosperous life on the sanctuary island,” said Anatasha Reza Widiantoro, a veterinarian from the Cikananga Wildlife Center.