00:03Could Odisha's five rescued baby orangutans soon find their way back to their natural
00:09habitat in Indonesia? An Indonesian orangutan conservation expert says her organization is
00:16ready to support the repatriation process if the governments of India and Indonesia
00:21decide to send them back. Indonesia Ready to Support Repatriation
00:27In an interview with NDTV, Indra Nurul Kumarya, Assistant Director at the Centre for Orangutan
00:34Protection, said she has been in touch with Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry over the case.
00:42She said the ministry has started communicating with Indian government officials,
00:46although the outcome of those discussions is not yet known. Kumarya said repatriating the five
00:53babies would be a complicated and lengthy process involving multiple stakeholders,
00:58including the Ministry of Forestry, Quarantine Authorities, Sites, Customs and Airlines.
01:06Her organization, which has around 15 years of experience caring for orangutans, could also send
01:12a medical team if requested to help with health checks and care before repatriation.
01:185-6 Years of Rehabilitation
01:22Once back in Indonesia, the orangutans would first undergo quarantine and medical checks. They would
01:28then move to a jungle or forest school where they would learn essential survival skills such as climbing,
01:33swinging and nest building. According to Kumarya, the rehabilitation process could take around 5-6 years
01:42before the orangutans are ready for release into their natural habitat. All three orangutan species are
01:48critically endangered, she said, with habitat destruction and poaching among their biggest threats.
01:53The buzz around repatriation stems from concerns among animal lovers that the baby orangutans may
01:59struggle to adapt to India's climatic conditions.
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