Supporting the Release of Six Orangutans in Kehje Sewen Forest, BCA Donates Rp250 Million to BOS Foundation

East Kalimantan, 27 August 2018 – As the largest private banking institution in Indonesia, PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) has once again proved itself as an institution that not only foucses on the financial sector, but also cares for the preservation of protected wildlife habitat, including the orangutans. In the midst of the 73^rd Indonesian Independence Day and Orangutan International Day that falls on the 19^th August, BCA collaborated with the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation to continue the #OrangutanFreedom mission which began in 2017 by releasing orangutans in the Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan through the East Kalimantan Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Samboja Lestari (BOS Samboja Lestari).

Attending the press conference was Head of BCA Samarinda Main Branch Office (KCU) Vincentius Dwi Anto Kusdiyono, Head of Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of East Kalimantan Sunandar Trigunajasa N, Director of Conservation of PT Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia Aldrianto Priadjati and Program Manager of Orangutan Rehabilitation of East Kalimantan at Samboja Lestari Agus Irwanto at the Office of BKSDA Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Monday (27/08).    

According to the Current Biology, nearly 150,000 orangutans lost in Kalimantan within 16 years. Researchers reveals that the population of these endangered species declined by 50% by 2015. Furthermore, 45,000 orangutan population could be lost by 2050. Deforestation and habitat loss are only one of the causes of the declining population of orangutans.

Vincentius said that, “The existence of orangutans in our lives has certainly provided us with many great benefits that many people fail to realize. They play an important role in forest regeneration through fruits and seeds they consume. Orangutans are one of the protected and endangered species in their habitat. Therefore, we feel compelled to preserve one of the God’s creation.

Through the East Kalimantan Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Samboja Lestari (BOS Samboja Lestari), BCA and and BOS Foundation will release orangutans in Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kalimantan Timur. This time, six orangutans that have been rehabilitated at the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and on the pre-release island of Juq Kehje Swen at Muara Wahau. Here, BCA donated Rp250 million for the support of the realease of orangutans.  

“BCA’s contribution to orangutan conservation has been done before. Previously, we also donated Rp200 million for the release of orangutans in Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kalimantan and a donation of Rp200 million to support the release of 200 orangutans by the BOS Foundation in 2017, where they release orangutans in natural forests and on pre-release islands in Kalimantan,” added Vincentius.

Sejak 2012, as the largest orangutan foundation in the world, the BOS Foundation has been actively releasing orangutans. As of the first half of 2018, the BOS Foundation has released 368 orangutans in three releasing sites in Central Kalimantan, namely Protected Forest of Bukit Batikap and Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park and also in Kehje Sewen, East Kalimantan. Committed to support the BOSF activities to preserve orangutans, BCA has been actively distributing donations and recentlt participated in dispatching 12 orangutans from the Orangutan Reintroduction Program in Nyaru Menteng to pre-determined release points in Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in 2017.

BCA’s contribution to orangutan conservation does not stop here. On Saturday (25/08), BCA and the BOSF organized a Orangutan Conservation Education called Orangutan Goes To School as well as Financial Education to approximately 170 students of SD Negeri 009 Samboja. The implementation target of the 2018 Orangutan Goes to School (OGTS) is to hold the activity in 15 schools in Samboja. A Public Awareness & Publicity program is also carried out by launching new Special Design Flazz Card and also video screening on orangutan conservation on Big Screen at Menara BCA throughout the week in welcoming the International Orangutan Day.

“We realize that the release of orangutans is an important stage as orangutans can return and live in their natural habitat after undergoing an extensive rehabilitation for several years. BCA also believes that wild animals such as orangutans should live freely in their natural habitat, the forest, considering their important roles that benefit humans. Not only that, we also always provide education and awareness so that the wider community can participate and realize a sustainable environmental conservation. Through the support, BCA also hopes that the Indonsian people will be more aware of the importance of the conservation of orangutan and their habitat,” explained Vincentius.

BCA Donated Rp250 Million to the BOSF – Head of BCA Samarinda Main Branch Office (KCU) Vincentius Dwi Anto Kusdiyono (right) symbolically submitted Rp250 million for the Orangutan Conservation at Samboja Lestari East Kalimantan to Manager of the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Program Agus Irwanto (second left) at Office of BKSDA Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Monday (27/08). Through the Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Samboja Lestari, BCA and the BOSF released six orangutans in Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan.   

Orangutan Goes to School – Besides releasing six orangutans in Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan, BCA and the BOSF also provided an education on orangutan conservation called Orangutan Goes to School as well as Financial Education to approximately 170 students at SD Negeri 009 Samboja, Saturday (25/08). The target of the Orangutan Goes to School (OGTS) this year is to organize them in 15 schools in Samboja, East Kalimantan.