Volunteer Projects Abroad
48 Orangutans sent home!!
Volunteer Thailand
11/30/06
FOUR AND A HALF YEARS after the first complaint was made about illegally imported orangutans at several places including the Bangkok safari park...
Exactly THREE YEARS after the raid on the park where over one hundred orangutan babies were found, TWO YEARS after we proofed with DNA tests that these orangutans were indeed born in the jungles of Borneo, they were finally sent home!
These orangutans were trained to perform shows for tourists although they were born in the wild. These orangutans were giving boxing shows for a thousand people at a time in Bangkok instead of foraging the trees of Kalimantan. These orangutans were tortured to entertain human beings… But it is over now!
This is the report by Edwin Wiek, director of the Wildlife rescue centre on the teams involvement of the repatriation of the orangutans from Thailand to Indonesia on the 21st and 22nd of November 2006
Tuesday 21st of November 2006
09:00AM In the morning of this day the 48 orangutans were not aware what was going to happen. Still in their cages they received their food around 9 o'clock and everything seemed to be as usual.
10:00AM The Indonesian Team arrives at Kao Prathapchang wildlife breeding center to assist with the moving of the orangutans. Cages made by the WFFT are all ready for transporting the orangutans to Indonesia. DNP officials however will not allow the cages to be used if their are any stickers of NGO's or other government agencies. Again trouble and possible delay.
11:00AM We decide to allow the stickers to be removed under protest. The threat that the repatriation might be postponed for this reason is ridiculous, but with the Hercules plane already on its way to Thailand we cannot risk another setback. Stickers are removed from all the 42 moving cages.
What a childish behavior!
01:00PM starting to move the orangutans into the moving cages. With almost one hundred people of the local press around the animals are stressed and scared, however the moving of the apes goes fast and without any serious incidents. Keepers tell the reporter of the BANGKOK POST that they will miss the animals because ''from now on, we won't get the chance to feed them, play with them or take them for a walk.'' they also said that "Pepsi, a female ape, was popular among keepers because she could quickly follow their orders and is a good dancer." ...
03:00PM getting ready to move. Almost all apes have been put in to the moving enclosures and the first two trucks are loaded with the cages. Things are moving! In 24 hours from now they should be home "where they belong"
05:00PM ready to go. No water for the apes, we are not able to deliver it as entrance to the wildlife breeding center is denied. Some of the apes have now been in the cages for 3 hours already and have still 4 hours more to go without drinking water.
06:00PM on our way. Although we had free professional transportation offered for the apes, the DNP decided to arrange it themselves on their own truck where the apes would have no cover against rain or sun, and most of all would be seen from every side during the transportation through three medium sized cities and greater Bangkok.
Not ideal at all.
09:30PM arrival at the airport after a road trip of almost four hours. The apes are doing quite well, it almost looks as if they know they are going home! About 5 of the orangutans are making lots of noise when the trucks park in front of the arrival and departure hall. All the others seem to be only interested in receiving water and food.
10:00PM At the airport giving water and feeding the apes after arriving at the military airport in Bangkok. Unfortunately we can not unload the trucks to clean the apes and provide food and water in an orderly way. No one is willing to unload the apes even though we had to pay almost 700 dollars to get the trucks moving. With still five hours to go till take off we start cutting the fruits for the orangutans instead.
11:00PM Time for a few hours of rest for the orangutans.
Wednesday 22nd of November 2006
01:00AM starting to load medical equipment, cleaning materials and food and drinking water for the long journey onto the plane. It took us almost an hour to get permission to get our trucks on the tarmac as some officials said we were "not involved" with the repatriation. The Thai military was again very cooperative as usual and allowed us to unload our materials; 150 kilos of food and water. Medial equipment such as the Mobile Intensive Care Unit sponsored by Care for the Wild International.
(Our Mobile Wildlife Clinic unloading the medical appliances)
01:00AM With only 2 hours to go before take-off we have still plenty of time to prepare the plane for the long trip and the loading of the apes. The Indonesian military did a great job in getting the plane ready for the trip. Even for the seven hepatitis-B positive apes there was a specially designed compartment. After the food and medical stuff is loaded it is time for the orangutans to go on board. One step closer to home!
01:30AM The first cages are loaded on the plane. With the least heavy cages going in first we slowly arrange the cages inside the plane. At some times there were more journalists than apes in the plane, hard work.
02:00AM The lading of the plane takes all together about one hour. The apes seem to be pretty at ease during the whole process, however the temperature inside the Hercules C-130 airplane is very high. We are assured that it will cool down during the flight.
02:30AM Take off from Bangkok. All cages are well set up and tied to the plane. We even had time enough to put back the stickers that were removed from the moving cages. After we had secured all cages, provided water and some small snack (raisins and monkey-chew) to get the apes at ease we were ready for the second part of our trip; the flight Bangkok-Medan!
05:30AM Stopover at Medan on Sumatra Island. After only a short flight from Bangkok we are now in Indonesia the first of three flights is done. All apes are still quiet in their enclosure as the plane refuels, all together a stop of about one hour.
10:00AM Arrival in Jakarta. With the ceremony planned weeks ahead we knew that is was going to be a big welcoming party. However nothing could beat the kids that were waiting with stuffed dolls at the airbase to welcome the orangutan babies back!
10:30AM We are now preparing another complete feeding for all the orangutans at Halim Airbase in Jakarta. With the sun coming up it is hot and we still have two hours to go before the welcoming ceremony. This gives us time enough to clean the cages where possible, feed the apes one more time and check on their health. The external Air conditioner did keep the temperature to a bearable level inside the plane.
NOON the ceremony starts. During her speech the first lady of Indonesia welcomes the babies of Indonesia back to their home country. A very touching speech with the demand to stop habitat loss and the pet trade. We are officially home now!
12:00PM While everyone is watching the ceremony, the repatriation team gets more helpers added in Jakarta to join us on the flight to Kalimantan. A brief talk on what's next behind the parked airplane; here Edwin, Dr Chitra and Wahyu. The flesh getting weak but the spirit still strong!
12:30PM Indonesia's first lady hands out food to one of the orangutans during the welcoming ceremony at Halim Airport.
13:30PM Flight from Jakarta to Palangkaraya just a few hours away from home!
04:30PM Edwin Wiek and Hardi Baktiaranto of BOS Nyaru Menteng rehab center unloading the first cage from the Hercules at Palangkaraya Airport, Central Kalimantan. Finally the orangutans are touching the ground in Kalimantan, their home!
04:45PM Doctor Chitra having a last check up for the orangutans after arrival at the Palangkaraya Airport. A bit of drinking yoghurt is given to the apes to make them feel at ease and allow us to check on their health. Most seem exhausted after the long trip, but still love to take the treat.
04:30PM All the cages are unloaded, lots of people around and an almost complete mess!
We are all working hard with our last bit of energy to get the apes loaded on the trucks of the local police force.
05:00PM the kids at Palangkaraya Airport are singing a specially created song to welcome the orangutans. It is really very moving for me. Someone asks me if it was a long trip? Yes, the 24 hours on the plane was long, but the fight to get them back took over four years and there were times I wondered if it was worth it... At this moment I realize it is,
WE TOOK THEM BACK HOME!
And at the end there was nothing. Last people to leave the airport...
Thank you to Aldrin, August, Kus, Chitra, Lah, Noi, Jok, Tek,
the Crew and Michel Maas.
These orangutans were trained to perform shows for tourists although they were born in the wild. These orangutans were giving boxing shows for a thousand people at a time in Bangkok instead of foraging the trees of Kalimantan. These orangutans were tortured to entertain human beings… But it is over now!
This is the report by Edwin Wiek, director of the Wildlife rescue centre on the teams involvement of the repatriation of the orangutans from Thailand to Indonesia on the 21st and 22nd of November 2006
Tuesday 21st of November 2006
09:00AM In the morning of this day the 48 orangutans were not aware what was going to happen. Still in their cages they received their food around 9 o'clock and everything seemed to be as usual.
10:00AM The Indonesian Team arrives at Kao Prathapchang wildlife breeding center to assist with the moving of the orangutans. Cages made by the WFFT are all ready for transporting the orangutans to Indonesia. DNP officials however will not allow the cages to be used if their are any stickers of NGO's or other government agencies. Again trouble and possible delay.
11:00AM We decide to allow the stickers to be removed under protest. The threat that the repatriation might be postponed for this reason is ridiculous, but with the Hercules plane already on its way to Thailand we cannot risk another setback. Stickers are removed from all the 42 moving cages.
What a childish behavior!
01:00PM starting to move the orangutans into the moving cages. With almost one hundred people of the local press around the animals are stressed and scared, however the moving of the apes goes fast and without any serious incidents. Keepers tell the reporter of the BANGKOK POST that they will miss the animals because ''from now on, we won't get the chance to feed them, play with them or take them for a walk.'' they also said that "Pepsi, a female ape, was popular among keepers because she could quickly follow their orders and is a good dancer." ...
03:00PM getting ready to move. Almost all apes have been put in to the moving enclosures and the first two trucks are loaded with the cages. Things are moving! In 24 hours from now they should be home "where they belong"
05:00PM ready to go. No water for the apes, we are not able to deliver it as entrance to the wildlife breeding center is denied. Some of the apes have now been in the cages for 3 hours already and have still 4 hours more to go without drinking water.
06:00PM on our way. Although we had free professional transportation offered for the apes, the DNP decided to arrange it themselves on their own truck where the apes would have no cover against rain or sun, and most of all would be seen from every side during the transportation through three medium sized cities and greater Bangkok.
Not ideal at all.
09:30PM arrival at the airport after a road trip of almost four hours. The apes are doing quite well, it almost looks as if they know they are going home! About 5 of the orangutans are making lots of noise when the trucks park in front of the arrival and departure hall. All the others seem to be only interested in receiving water and food.
10:00PM At the airport giving water and feeding the apes after arriving at the military airport in Bangkok. Unfortunately we can not unload the trucks to clean the apes and provide food and water in an orderly way. No one is willing to unload the apes even though we had to pay almost 700 dollars to get the trucks moving. With still five hours to go till take off we start cutting the fruits for the orangutans instead.
11:00PM Time for a few hours of rest for the orangutans.
Wednesday 22nd of November 2006
01:00AM starting to load medical equipment, cleaning materials and food and drinking water for the long journey onto the plane. It took us almost an hour to get permission to get our trucks on the tarmac as some officials said we were "not involved" with the repatriation. The Thai military was again very cooperative as usual and allowed us to unload our materials; 150 kilos of food and water. Medial equipment such as the Mobile Intensive Care Unit sponsored by Care for the Wild International.
(Our Mobile Wildlife Clinic unloading the medical appliances)
01:00AM With only 2 hours to go before take-off we have still plenty of time to prepare the plane for the long trip and the loading of the apes. The Indonesian military did a great job in getting the plane ready for the trip. Even for the seven hepatitis-B positive apes there was a specially designed compartment. After the food and medical stuff is loaded it is time for the orangutans to go on board. One step closer to home!
01:30AM The first cages are loaded on the plane. With the least heavy cages going in first we slowly arrange the cages inside the plane. At some times there were more journalists than apes in the plane, hard work.
02:00AM The lading of the plane takes all together about one hour. The apes seem to be pretty at ease during the whole process, however the temperature inside the Hercules C-130 airplane is very high. We are assured that it will cool down during the flight.
02:30AM Take off from Bangkok. All cages are well set up and tied to the plane. We even had time enough to put back the stickers that were removed from the moving cages. After we had secured all cages, provided water and some small snack (raisins and monkey-chew) to get the apes at ease we were ready for the second part of our trip; the flight Bangkok-Medan!
05:30AM Stopover at Medan on Sumatra Island. After only a short flight from Bangkok we are now in Indonesia the first of three flights is done. All apes are still quiet in their enclosure as the plane refuels, all together a stop of about one hour.
10:00AM Arrival in Jakarta. With the ceremony planned weeks ahead we knew that is was going to be a big welcoming party. However nothing could beat the kids that were waiting with stuffed dolls at the airbase to welcome the orangutan babies back!
10:30AM We are now preparing another complete feeding for all the orangutans at Halim Airbase in Jakarta. With the sun coming up it is hot and we still have two hours to go before the welcoming ceremony. This gives us time enough to clean the cages where possible, feed the apes one more time and check on their health. The external Air conditioner did keep the temperature to a bearable level inside the plane.
NOON the ceremony starts. During her speech the first lady of Indonesia welcomes the babies of Indonesia back to their home country. A very touching speech with the demand to stop habitat loss and the pet trade. We are officially home now!
12:00PM While everyone is watching the ceremony, the repatriation team gets more helpers added in Jakarta to join us on the flight to Kalimantan. A brief talk on what's next behind the parked airplane; here Edwin, Dr Chitra and Wahyu. The flesh getting weak but the spirit still strong!
12:30PM Indonesia's first lady hands out food to one of the orangutans during the welcoming ceremony at Halim Airport.
13:30PM Flight from Jakarta to Palangkaraya just a few hours away from home!
04:30PM Edwin Wiek and Hardi Baktiaranto of BOS Nyaru Menteng rehab center unloading the first cage from the Hercules at Palangkaraya Airport, Central Kalimantan. Finally the orangutans are touching the ground in Kalimantan, their home!
04:45PM Doctor Chitra having a last check up for the orangutans after arrival at the Palangkaraya Airport. A bit of drinking yoghurt is given to the apes to make them feel at ease and allow us to check on their health. Most seem exhausted after the long trip, but still love to take the treat.
04:30PM All the cages are unloaded, lots of people around and an almost complete mess!
We are all working hard with our last bit of energy to get the apes loaded on the trucks of the local police force.
05:00PM the kids at Palangkaraya Airport are singing a specially created song to welcome the orangutans. It is really very moving for me. Someone asks me if it was a long trip? Yes, the 24 hours on the plane was long, but the fight to get them back took over four years and there were times I wondered if it was worth it... At this moment I realize it is,
WE TOOK THEM BACK HOME!
And at the end there was nothing. Last people to leave the airport...
Thank you to Aldrin, August, Kus, Chitra, Lah, Noi, Jok, Tek,
the Crew and Michel Maas.