Activists to release 30 orangutans in Aceh forest

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Mon, 10/31/2011

Environmental activists joined under the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program (SOCP) plan to release 30 orangutans at the Pinus Jantho conservation center in Aceh Besar, Nangroe Aceh Darussalam.

Activists from three organizations joining the program, including Swiss-based PanEco Foundation, the Ekosistem Lestari Foundation and the Forestry Ministry, were currently training the orangutans in a quarantine center at Batu Mbelin, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, Antara news agency reported on Monday.

Ekosistem Lestari Foundation director Ian Singleton said that the quarantine program was to prepare the orangutans for life in the wild in their natural ecosystem.

The activists had previously released 13 orangutans on October 20.