In February 2020, three rehabilitated orangutans were released by the conservationists into Indonesia’s Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park. Unyu was one of the primates who was monitored by the team, and they were happy to encounter a new and familiar face. The only known albino orangutan, Alba, also made an appearance in the middle of the rainforest. It was one year after her release into the wild, and she seemed to be quite happy and content.
About orangutan
She has pale fur with bright blue eyes, which is a unique thing among all the wonderful orangutans. Alba is the only known albino orangutan left on the Indonesian island. Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli are the three critically endangered species of orangutan that only exist on the island of Indonesian of Sumatra and on the island of Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei share it).
Threats in their lives
The major threat to the lives of these great apes is the loss of their habitat. As the forests are cut down, to make agricultural lands. Most of the time, they are hunted for food. And, because of the cutting down of their natural habitat, they are unknowingly being pushed towards humans.
How was Alba at the time of rescue?
The young ones are particularly captured for the illegal pet trading business. According to a journalist, Alba- a Bornean orangutan was rescued in the year 2017. She was under the arrest of the villagers of the Indonesian part of Borneo. She was found dehydrated, distressed, and vastly infected by the parasite; at the time of her rescue by the officials of Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency and Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF).
Life during her rescue period
She was just five when the team rescued her. And then she was sent to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Alba spent two years there, under the supervision of humans. It took her long to recover as she was an albino orangutan and was also susceptible to several health conditions. She had poor vision, sensitivity to light, and hearing power, but she has great socialization skills as well as excellent climbing skills.
Alba and one more rescued orangutan, Kika, was set free in the Bukit Baba Bukit Raya National Park in December 2018. The national park is protected land, which is the most important role in saving the lives of orangutans. the most protected area
What happens after the orangutans are released?
Both BOSF and the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park office monitor her even after she was released from the rehabilitation. They have observed that during the first year of her life in the wild, she spent most of her time traveling, resting, and feeding. According to the team of Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park Authority, she is very much capable of skillful foraging, extensive exploration, and deft nest building.
She is quite social with the other orangutans who were released within the national park. It was extraordinary to witness when Alba crossed paths Unyu, who lived with her at the rehabilitation center. The experts monitored for another three months, and they were ensured that Alba could survive quite easily, and all the progress that she ever made was truly positive.
Winding up
Alba is the only known albino orangutan, who managed to survive in the wild even after the physical abnormalities. She survived everything and is now living just a great life in the forest with wildlife. The experts of the rehabilitation hope that she continues to survive happily and without much difficulty in the natural habitat.
