Conservation Group Calls on Public to Name Rescued Albino Orangutan
Jakarta. Central Kalimantan conservation group Borneo Orangutan Survival, or BOS, Foundation, has called on the public to help name a recently rescued albino orangutan from Tanggiran Village.
The incredibly rare albino orangutan is recovering from injuries and malnutrition at BOS Foundation rehabilitation center in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, following its emergency rescue on April 29.
The animal was immediately placed in 24-hour intensive care under the supervision of the foundation's veterinary team after its rescue.
The foundation reported that the female orangutan is around five years old and currently weighs 8.3 kilograms. Due to a complete absence of pigmentation, the animal is highly sensitive to light, forcing caretakers to treat her in an enclosed, dimly-lit quarantine facility.
The albino orangutan is physically fragile, like many animals rescued by the BOS Foundation, though the animal also suffers from a difficult to treat parasite infection. Foundation representatives say the animal is wary of interacting with humans and suffers from a lack of appetite.
The foundation's 400 staff members rescue and rehabilitate orangutans that have been orphaned by poachers, sold at illegal markets or had lost their habitat to palm oil plantations, wildfires and degradation of rainforests.
The foundation has called on the public to submit worthy names for the animal, as the orangutan has captured the attention of animal lovers across the world."It is very rare to find an albino orangutan, and considering the significant conservation challenges wild orangutans face, we want that to be recognized in her name," BOS Foundation chief executive Dr. Jamartin Sihite said in a press release.
People are encouraged to forward their suggestions to name@orangutan.org.id, or use the hashtag #albinoorangutan on various social media platforms. The foundation will stop accepting suggestions on Sunday (14/05), and announce the winning name on Monday via Facebook and Instagram.
The foundation says it will likely choose a name that reflects the plight that critically endangered animals and orangutans face.
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