Rescuers from the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) discovered a rare, critically endangered orangutan being held captive in a cage by villagers in Borneo.
The orangutan is a rare species in and of itself, but the rescued 5-year-old female was revealed to be albino, meaning she has white hair and blue eyes. The endangered ape is now in protective custody.
The organization has never seen anything like her in its 25-year history. Typical Bornean orangutans have dark, reddish-brown hair.
“Orangutans are rare, and an albino orangutan is even rarer,” Nico Hermanu, a BOSF spokesman, told AFP. “Since BOSF was founded 25 years ago, we had never before taken in an albino orangutan at our rehabilitation center.”
The rescuers noticed there was dried blood around the creature’s nose, which they believe occurred when the ape was fighting villagers to be freed.
The Bornean orangutan is one of two of Asia’s only great apes. They are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which means they are one step away from becoming totally extinct.
About 100,000 are believed to live in Borneo, which is down from 288,500 in 1973. There is expected to be just 47,000 left by 2025. Orangutans face extinction due to their habitats being destroyed as rain forests are turned into palm oil, rubber, and paper plantations. Some are even captured by villagers and turned into pets.
Fortunately, this rare creature was saved by BOSF before meeting a tragic end.
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