Male Sumatran Orangutan Semeru left Perth Zoo in October 2011 and was transported to Bukit Tigapuluh in Sumatra, Indonesia as part of the Sumatran Orangutan reintroduction program to establish a new population of the critically endangered species in the wild.
Semeru was born at Perth Zoo on 13 June 2005 to mother Sekara and father Dinar. Sekara was an excellent first time mother and doted on her first infant. Semeru was the first of the third generation of orangutans born at Perth Zoo.
He was chosen for the release program based on his age and temperament. He had reached the natural age of dispersal for a male orangutan and was confident, curious and independent.
Semeru was released on 1 November 2011 into a protected rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia, as part of international efforts to re-establish a population of this critically endangered species in the wild.
He became the first zoo-born male orangutan in the world to be released into the wild, following in the footsteps of another history-making Perth Zoo orangutan, Temara. Temara became the world’s first zoo-born orangutan to be released into the wild when she was successfully released in the same area in Sumatra in November 2006.
Release Preparation
Semeru spent two weeks in quarantine before his release into the Bukit Tigapuluh region as part of an established reintroduction program.
A team of Perth Zoo veterinarians, keepers and officials spent a year meticulously planning and preparing Semeru for his transfer and release. Preparations included the introduction of Indonesian fruits to Semeru’s diet, enrichment items to sharpen his foraging skills and access to a large fig tree to increase his fitness and hone his climbing and nest-making skills.
Semeru is being closely monitored and supported on a daily basis with two dedicated trackers for two years and longer if necessary while he adjusts to life in the forest. Semeru has also been fitted with a radio transmitter implant which will help trackers monitor him in the dense terrain of Bukit Tigpauluh.
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