Guest guest Posted August 1, 2004 Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Orangutan Rescue-Thailand Appeal Last year more than one hundred, almost certainly illegal, baby orangutans were discovered in one zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. For a long time nothing happened, despite several letters and many appeals by BOS and the network of Indonesian Animal Rescue Centers to the Ministry of Forestry in Indonesia. Pressure was also made by Monkey World from England. Because nothing happened, BOS then worked together with several Thai NGO’s, led by Wildlife Friends of Thailand, and Dr. Willie Smits went over to Thailand himself. He managed with police support to enter the zoo to see the many orangutan babies behind their orangutan boxing show. His report and a group meeting with people from Thailand, England and Indonesia with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry finally led to official action to bring the smuggled orangutans back to Indonesia to be reintroduced by BOS in accordance with CITES regulations. Tragically, these one hundred babies are but a small fraction of the many orangutan babies that were smuggled out of Indonesia in 2003 and 2004. Many more orangutan babies were discovered in other places in Thailand but also in Cambodia, Vietnam, Kuwait, Malaysia and several other countries in South East Asia. These babies are normally smuggled on large timber boats. Once near their destination, they are transferred to local fishing boats. From the report by Dr. Willie Smits, it seems most probable that most of these babies came from Central Kalimantan, more specifically from the oil palm plantation land-clearing operations. It is from these same operations that BOS, on an almost daily basis, is trying to rescue and relocate the wild orangutans that have lost their forest and are threatened to lose their lives. We have already taken in some one hundred orangutans so far this year and now there will be a huge addition to those numbers, more than doubling the number of new arrivals for 2004. It costs us about $4500 US to rescue just one confiscated baby, take care of its health and emotional needs for about 3 to 4 years, and teach it the forest survival skills to return to the forests that BOS protects. This, in itself, represents an enormous figure to be raised. To compound the difficulty of the task at hand, the present facilities are no longer large enough to take in so many new arrivals. We are completely stretched to the limits for space at the present locations. Many of the orangutans are taken out to the forest every day and because there are so many orangutans on such a relatively small piece of land, much damage is done to the forests of the Nyaru Menteng orangutan station. Therefore, we urgently need to secure an additional location where the orangutans can learn in the trees, not from behind bars. The excellent news is that we have found a suitable piece of forest about 15 minutes from our Nyaru Menteng station. The bad news is we need to invest a lot of money to set it up. We have the opportunity to purchase some 50 hectares of land where we can build a facility to cope with an additional 150 orangutan babies, with the possibility to extend it further with more forest patches next to this location. The location is sufficiently close to our clinic and quarantine facilities so that we do not need to build a complete new station and facilities. Also, we can use most of the other transport facilities of Nyaru Menteng. However, we still need to construct night quarters and a security post, and purchase an additional car, and more. So although we can do it at a lower cost here than anywhere else, it is still going to take a significant sum of money to build and to operate. The first fifty or so babies are expected within a very short time, so we need to take immediate action. There are many other urgent things that need to be done and we will work on those, like how to set up a joint task force to deal with the intricate network of animal smugglers. Even though we managed to jail several traders last year, the numbers of smuggled orangutans prove that we are not making enough of an impact to stop them. And they are tough and well organized. One witness involved with the international smuggling, who could have brought down the system, was murdered before he could testify. We also received many, many death threats. Additionally, we need to deal with the oil palm plantations that cause so many problems for the few remaining wild orangutans. And there we also appeal to you to immediately help us with one area from where some 600 wild orangutans have to be rescued before they will be killed and their babies shipped off for commercial exploitation to international destinations. We know we are asking a lot, but please try to help. BOS is working consistently in developing comprehensive programs, including providing alternatives to local people as the basis for protecting the remaining forests and developing the forest monitoring systems to deal with illegal logging. But this program is an emergency that needs support NOW. Please have a look at the attached proposal and consider helping BOS to take care of these internationally smuggled orangutan babies. What is needed? We need to buy some 50 hectares of land near the Nyaru Menteng station and build sleeping quarters for the babies to sleep in at night. We need generators, communication equipment, transport facilities and staff quarters to provide 24-hour care on location. We need a small clinic for daily checking of things like parasites and for treatment of sick orangutans. We need a food storage facility, a security post and we have to make a road into the land with the remaining forest. We need other equipment as well and more operational funds. We will need to hire some 30 additional staff to take care of these orangutans. We will need also much additional food to be bought every day, as well as medications. Below is an overview of the budget needed to take immediate action. As you can see, it costs us about 12.5 Million Rupiah per orangutan per year for three years to take complete care until the release. That means it costs about 40 Million Rupiah per orangutan to give it back its freedom, which amounts to some 4,500 USD per individual. We are looking at 150 additional adoptions on top of the initial investment in the new location. Please help when you can. Expense Units Unit price Total price Price U$ Price EU Land acquisition 50 ha 2.000.000 100.000.000 11.765 8.849 Road access 1 35.000.000 35.000.000 4.117 3.097 Clinic building (w/ lab, sickroom, washroom) 1 50.000.000 50.000.000 5.882 4.425 Security post 1 25.000.000 25.000.000 2.941 2.213 Overnight staff building 1 35.000.000 35.000.000 4.117 3.097 Canteen/Personnel facilities 1 20.000.000 20.000.000 2.352 1.769 Overnight holding cages (incl fruit storage) 18 10.000.000 180.000.000 21.176 15.929 Generator (800W) (Incl installations) 2 4.000.000 8.000.000 941 708 Radio system 1 3.250.000 3.250.000 382 288 Hand radio Icom IC-V8 or similar 2 1.200.000 2.400.000 282 212 4 wheel drive (Ford ranger pick up, dbl cabin or similar) 1 240.000.000 240.000.000 28.235 21.238 Motorbike (off road) 1 15.000.000 15.000.000 1.765 1.327 Various small lab equipment 1 5.000.000 5.000.000 588 442 Furnishing * 1 6.000.000 6.000.000 706 531 Total 719.650.000 85.249 64.125 * Furnishing includes: chairs, tables, beds, and cupboards Operational cost year 1. Expense Units Unit price Total price Price U$ Price EU Operational cost ** 150 11.400.000 1.710.000.000 201.176 151.327 Operational cost year 2: Expense Units Unit price Total price Price U$ Price EU Operational cost ** 150 12.540.000 1.881.000.000 221.294 166.460 Operational cost year 3: Expense Units Unit price Total price Price U$ Price EU Operational cost ** 150 13.794.000 2.069.100.000 243.423 183.106 ** Operational costs are calculated from the existing program at Nyaru Menteng and includes: All foods, milk, medical expenses, enrichment, staff wages and medical insurance, maintenance, daily equipment, electricity, fuels for vehicles, office expenses. 10 % is added per year for inflation. Michelle Desilets Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK Buckinghamshire, England " Primates Helping Primates " www.savetheorangutan.org.uk www.savetheorangutan.com _________ALL-NEW Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger. 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