Orangutan rescued from river by conservationists in Indonesia

Updated

An orangutan trapped in the swollen waters of Lesan river in the East Kalimatan province of Indonesia after torrential rains was rescued by staff of the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) on March 12.

Video of the incident, which has garnered 64,000 views within a week, shows Paulinus and Wety Nurpiana, workers of COP Borneo, using tree branches to help the orangutan climb out of the water.

Asia's only great apes, orangutans of Borneo and Sumatra, live in the rain forests and spend nearly all their lives in trees where they build nests for sleep. Although they enjoy occasional splash in the water they generally cannot swim, Ken Hardi, the founder of COP in Borneo told Reuters in an email.

The rescue saved the animal, which had probably fallen into the river out of a tree, from drowning.

Founded in 2007, COP works to protect orangutans in their natural habitats.

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