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April 10, 2025 | 11:27 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo planned to establish an orangutan sanctuary on Kelawasan Island, located in the Bay of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. This island lies within the area designated for the future capital city of Indonesia, known as Nusantara or IKN. The development of this orangutan sanctuary involves the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation (YAD), the IKN Authority, and the Ministry of Forestry.
The head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, announced that Kelawasan Island has been designated as a protected area due to its location within the IKN region. "Kelawasan, situated within the IKN area, has rich ecological potential with significant biodiversity," he said in a written statement on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
In the same press release, Hashim explained that the orangutan sanctuary on Kelawasan Island will serve as a long-term habitat for male orangutans that are unsuitable for release into the wild.
"Many adult orangutans would die if released into the wild because they would struggle to find food. We will provide a comfortable environment for these adult orangutans in an open, natural setting, which is why we selected Kelawasan Island," Hashim elaborated.
The sanctuary area will be equipped with facilities designed to support the natural behaviors of orangutans. The planned infrastructure includes protective shelters, feeding platforms for daily sustenance, complete with drinking pools for the orangutans, and a feeding area for care and health examinations of the animals.
However, Iqbal Damanik, a Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace, voiced concerns that the construction of this sanctuary could be used as a pretext for clearing the remaining natural habitat of orangutans within the IKN area. Furthermore, he raised the possibility that the expanding development of IKN could pose a threat to established orangutan corridors, which require wide roaming ranges.
"The construction of sanctuaries is often used as a justification for the destruction of orangutan habitats in the Kalimantan region, as if it somehow makes the habitat loss permissible," Iqbal stated when contacted on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
He also criticized Hashim, suggesting that he bears responsibility for the degradation of orangutan habitats in Kalimantan. Iqbal pointed out that Hashim, who is the younger brother of President Prabowo Subianto, holds several concessions that have led to the elimination of natural orangutan habitats.
"This can be seen as an attempt to absolve oneself of past actions," Iqbal asserted. "Because Hashim's history in East Kalimantan is inextricably linked to industrial timber plantation companies, even predating the initiation of IKN, which has resulted in the destruction of orangutan habitat."
According to Iqbal, if Hashim Djojohadikusumo genuinely cares about orangutans, his efforts should focus on restoring the already damaged orangutan habitat. "The way to protect orangutans is by safeguarding their natural habitat. In the current context in Kalimantan, undertaking restoration efforts is also Hashim's responsibility," he concluded.
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