Orangutan Mother Accidentally Leaves Baby Behind During Release

Don't worry! They were reunited only a few minutes later! Today we’re sharing this incredible footage of a translocation that took place back in November 2025. Even at a young age, orangutans are remarkably strong and adaptable. They had been spotted near a rubber plantation in West Kalimantan, dangerously close to people and the growing risk of conflict. A joint team from BKSDA West Kalimantan and our partners, YIARI, safely translocated them, carried out health checks, and released them into protected forest where they belong. As forests are lost and fragmented, orangutans are pushed closer to people and into places where the risks grow. That is why protecting forests matters, and why moving orangutans away from human activity and back into safe, protected habitat can be so important.