Orangutan Found Beheaded in Central Kalimantan

Sampit, Central Kalimantan (Antara) - An orangutan was found beheaded in Pelangsian Village, Ketapang Subdistrict, East Kotawaringin District, Central Kalimantan Province, last Tuesday. "The orangutan was beheaded. Looking at the wound, it is strongly believed that the animal was killed. The head was detached from the body," said Muriansyah, who works at the Sampit Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), on Wednesday. The agency had conducted an investigation before the animal's body was buried. The orangutan was a male and between the age of 20 and 25. The case has been reported to Ketapang Police for further investigation. Local villagers were shocked when they found the decapitated body because they thought it was a body of a human being. The Ketapang Police later took the body to Dr Murjani at the Regional Public Hospital for identification. According to Law No. 5/1990, on the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem, the killer of the protected animal could face a maximum of five years in jail. There are approximately 54 thousand orangutans in Kalimantan. The number is declining as the quality of their habitat is deteriorating. (*)