1. An orangutan is a protected animal under PP No. 7/1999 (on the Preservation of Plant & Animal Species) and its protection is regulated under Law No. 5/1990 (on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and their Ecosystems) - so perpetrators of orangutan slaughter are in serious violation of the law and can be sanctioned.
2. WWF-Indonesia appreciates the follow-up efforts being carried out by the East Kalimantan BKSDA and other relevant authorities and supports that law enforcement efforts can be carried out immediately, and the perpetrators can be subject to strict sanctions if proven guilty. WWF encourages the imposition of optimal punishment to the perpetrators in order to provide a deterrent effect. WWF-Indonesia and related partners in East Kalimantan are currently seeking additional information related to the case in the field.
3. WWF calls on concession holders in both forestry and plantation sectors (including oil palm plantations), which have protected wildlife populations within their concessions, including orangutans, to protect these animals and make them part of their concession management plans in a sustainable manner.
4. Specifically to minimize human and orangutan conflicts in oil palm plantations, the human-animal conflict mitigation protocol developed by the Ministry of Forestry and multi-parties can be used as a reference (it is regulated in Permenhut P.48/Menhut-II/2008 and P.53/Menhut-IV/2007). The protocol can be accessed at www.dephut.go.id

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5. Related to the phenomenon of human-orangutan conflict, which is generally caused by the loss of orangutan habitat, WWF urges all parties, especially companies and the government, to maintain the remaining high conservation value forests for orangutan habitat. WWF also asks the government and the private sector to help smallholder farming communities to manage agricultural land sustainably.

For more information:
Chairul Saleh, WWF-Indonesia Orangutan Conservation Coordinator, csaleh@wwf.or.id, +0811102902