# Orangutan Rehabilitation and Release in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

> East Kalimantan is a frontline for Bornean orangutan rescue — confiscation from the illegal pet trade, years of forest-school rehabilitation, and release into protected lowland forest such as Gunung Batu Mesangat. WARN funds partner-led rehabilitation and release programmes in Indonesia through grants, not WARN-run centres.

## Programme metrics
| Term | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Species | Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) |
| IUCN status | Critically Endangered |
| Programme area | East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia |
| Operational focus | Confiscation-to-sanctuary rehabilitation and wild release |
| WARN funding model | Partner grants — target at least 80% programme delivery |

## From confiscation to the wild
In June 2026, three rehabilitated Bornean orangutans — Bagus, Eboni and Ruby — were released into the Gunung Batu Mesangat protected forest in East Kutai regency after years of forest-school rehabilitation following rescue from the illegal pet trade. That release was coordinated by Indonesian authorities and conservation partners; it illustrates what the confiscation-to-sanctuary pipeline achieves when funding holds steady.

## Forest school and foraging training
Over several years, rehabilitated orangutans relearn nest-building, canopy travel and identification of hundreds of wild foods. Rehabilitation takes roughly seven to eight years per orphan at an estimated US$2,000–3,000 per year through partner programmes.

## Local authority coordination
Releases in East Kalimantan are led by East Kalimantan's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), working with the provincial forestry authority, local forest-management units and conservation partners who run rehabilitation programmes.

## FAQ
### What is orangutan rehabilitation in East Kalimantan?
The multi-year process of returning confiscated Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) to the wild — from quarantine and forest school through pre-release assessment, transport to protected forest and post-release monitoring in East Kutai regency.

### How many orangutans were released in East Kalimantan in June 2026?
Three rehabilitated Bornean orangutans — Bagus, Eboni and Ruby — were released into the Gunung Batu Mesangat protected forest on 23 June 2026, coordinated by East Kalimantan BKSDA with provincial forestry authorities and conservation partners.

### Did WARN fund the June 2026 East Kalimantan release?
WARN reported that release as a sourced field briefing illustrating successful partner-led rehabilitation. WARN funds orangutan rescue through vetted partners via the Borneo orangutan appeal; it does not claim credit for individual releases unless a verified grant relationship is published.

Human-readable page: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/indonesia/east-kalimantan-orangutan-rehabilitation