Borneo Orangutan Survival

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation ( BOS) is the world's largest non-profit organization to protect directly endangered orangutans in Indonesia.

Origin of Conservation Initiative

The Dutch farmer's son Willie Smits was first used in 1980 to Borneo. The breeding of exotic woods very interested. Willie Smits saw it as a great challenge to do research where no one had before him. He was sent to East Kalimantan and spent many months in the Dayak, the indigenous people of Borneo, from which he learned a lot about life in the jungle. Later, she gave him the name Sinam - the brave.

Due to his successful research, he was asked by the Indonesian government to continue its work. He moved to Indonesia and married a short time later his wife Syennie, which is a queen of Tomohon - people today. 1989 Smits worked as the head of his research project ' Tropenbos ' (Bos - Dutch for Forest) in Wanariset at Balikpapan. There he was in a public market tools, such as animal dealers the orangutan baby Vce half dead raised a garbage dump, as it had not sold. Willie Smits took care of the orangutan baby and nursed it healthy.

Willie Smits ' engagement spread quickly. Forestry officials trusted him equal to a second sick baby monkey in which he used with some affection. His sons were at that time not much older than the two orangutans. In a magazine, he once stated that there had been no difference, his children or the monkeys raise. They had the same needs and a similar body language.

Tropenbos began to get involved in the cause of orang- utans, as Smits was able to prove that the feces of these animals spread seeds from trees in the tropical rain forest. With UCE and Dodoy in the luggage he went to international schools and asked the local children about supporting them. With bake sales and reading competitions thus scarce U.S. $ 10,000 were taken. After the complete formation of Bos 1991, the organization grew faster than planned. With every forest fire and with each other plantation more and more orangutans came to a rehabilitation center. Each orangutan lives at least three years in the camp before being released back into the wild. The Foundation paid an average of $ 4,500 for a monkey that is brought back to his feet.

According to the press release dated September 28, 2009 Willie Smits distances itself from the German supporters organization BOS Germany. The Indonesian BOS Foundation itself, however, continues to work closely with BOS Germany.

Objectives

BOS is exclusively committed to the long -term protection of orangutans in their natural environment. Because orangutans ( Pongo pygmaeus ) as an umbrella species of the Indonesian and Malaysian tropical forest by massive destruction of the environment (rain forest destruction for wood, paper and plantations ) are losing their habitat dramatically fast, the protection of orangutans primarily includes the protection just their natural habitat. By continuing Wilderung of juveniles, the confiscation and rehabilitation, and reintroduction of illegally held orangutans is part of the work of BOS. BOS adopts a holistic approach, according to which the objectives can be achieved only if especially learns the local population an economic benefit through the conservation of nature.

Projects

Rehabilitation

BOS operates two rehabilitation and sanctuaries for orangutans, one in Wanariset Samboja and one in Nyaru Menteng, Central Kalimantan in the east and ( Indonesian part of Borneo ). Here are orangutans that have been seized with the help of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, prepared in an average seven-year training program for a life in freedom.

Area Samboja Lestari

The BOS Foundation in Indonesia could now acquire around 2,000 ha of concessions with fake ruthlessly cleared area near Balikpapan (Borneo ), to transform it with the ambitious goal again in natural rain forest with the area Samboja Lestari up. BOS started with Samboja Lestari 2001, a pilot project and creates through restoration and protection of the area an important sanctuary for orangutans, sun bears and other endangered species in Borneo. In addition to reforestation with integrated agriculture ( agroforestry) the support for the project Creates Life Forest in Samboja Lestari in detail covers the financing of leases and concessions for the country, Nursery and Arboretum, research opportunities relevant disciplines, homestead and protection for orang- utans, sun bears and other animals, disposition of training forests for young orangutans, layout and maintenance of artificial islands for young or sick orangutans, various training opportunities for locals and tourists, as well as a volunteer program, for the local people, protection measures against forest fires, construction and maintenance of the necessary infrastructure and monitoring. Surrounded by Samboja Lestari offers the rehabilitation ward Wanariset Samboja a safe refuge for orangutans (currently more than 200 have cared for animals ). From here, the apes are to be reintroduced back into the wild, unless the international efforts to protect the rainforest still existing (remaining ) areas lead to success. Samboja Lestari, among other things financed by the symbolic sale of square meters. At a fundraising website of BOS can be symbolic square in the area of ​​Samboja Lestari " buy " and participate in the financing of the pilot project.

Mawas area

The Mawas area with a total of 377,000 hectares is preserved in good condition tropical forest area with high biodiversity. This lowland peat rainforest not only acts as a CO2 storage, but also as active CO2 sink, which makes the area for the global climate even more valuable. There, one of the last great wild orangutan populations living (about 3000 animals). BOS has received the preliminary administrative law for the Mawas area in September 2003. Various international organizations are active amplified by the long-term protection of Mawas.

Environmental Education

One of the main objectives of BOS is to educate the local population about the importance of conservation measures.

Criticism

Some of the local Dayak complain, by the strict protection of the forest in the vicinity of the station and the barring related them 'll deprived of the possibility to profit from the existing natural wealth there. The conservation project of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation was therefore an " elite project " in which the lives of animals weighs higher than that of the impoverished, resident rural population.