JAKARTA, July 9 – A viral video of a large orangutan beneath a tree in East Kalimantan’s Kutai Timur district has captured widespread attention on social media.
The 17-second footage shows the orangutan standing and gripping a tree branch while calmly eating fruit near a house by the roadside.
The exact location remains unknown because the original uploader has removed the video, complicating efforts for the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
Local media reported that the agency’s head, Ari Wibawanto, stating that the orangutan, identified as an older male, might appear larger due to the camera angle.
He explained, “Orangutans without established territories often venture into residential areas or roads in search of mates or food.”
The sighting has sparked online discussions about orangutans near human settlements, highlighting environmental concerns for the endangered species.
In a related initiative, in November 2023, the Natural Resources Conservation Agencies of Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan released 12 rehabilitated orangutans into the wild from facilities operated by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
Orangutans, found exclusively in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, include species such as Pongo pygmaeus, Pongo abelii, and Pongo tapanuliensis.
