The moment when he’s released!

He spent two years shut in a dark wooden box before he was finally rescued. Kotap, a young four-year-old male orangutan, was found in a box measuring just 10 square feet (1 square meter) when rescuers in Indonesia got to him. People from wildlife group, International Animal Rescue (IAR), and officials from the West Kalimantan forestry department discovered the animal trapped in a village, kept as a pet.

When rescuers found him, Kotap had nothing but a straw and a plastic bottle with him. He was fed a human diet that included uncooked instant noodles and sugary drinks. His captor, a man named Baco said he was concerned that Kotap would disturb the neighbours, so he built the wooden cage for him in front of his house. Officials had to visit Baco several times before being able to persuade him to surrender Kotap. But it wasn’t easy to rescue the frightened monkey, even after obtaining permission.

The moving rescue of Kotap!

He was deprived of everything that an orangutan needs to survive in the wild. At four years old, he should still be with his mother, learning from her how to climb and move through the forest, what foods to eat and what to avoid, and how to build a nest in the trees to sleep in each night. Instead, Kotap lived a sad and solitary existence, unable to exercise. Kotap was probably saved from certain death. After years in the darkness, he clearly found the sight and sound of the outside world quite terrifying. Watch his reaction when finally released! 

When the door of the box was opened and vet Uwi extended her hand to Kotap, at first he was frightened and ran to the back of the box where he couldn’t be reached. was very stressed by all the strangers who gathered to see him when he was taken out of the box. He became nervous and aggressive which is not surprising.

Thankfully now he will join other rescued orangutans at our centre and be given a chance of returning to the forest where he belongs.

Source: www.parismatch.com