World's only Albino Orangutan spotted in Borneo rainforest a year after her release

The world’s only known albino orangutan named Alba has reportedly been spotted alive roaming in a Borneo rainforest in Indonesia, almost a year after she was released into the forest by a rescue foundation, conservationists confirmed on the official Save the Orangutan website.

The orangutan was saved by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation out of the cage confinement from a village in Kapua district near Manwas in the year 2017. The female orangutan was 5 years old and was brought to the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation centre. Conservationists said, “Alba received veterinary treatment and was kept under observation to determine whether she was able to survive on her own after a potential reintroduction to the wild’.

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The one of a kind Orangutan with deep blue eyes and smooth white coat was given freedom during the late 2018 and was spotted while the foundation was monitoring other three orangutans in the forest. Indra Exploitasia, the environment ministry’s director of biodiversity conservation, reportedly said that after they learned that she can build nests, forage independently and is no longer dependent on human assistance, they concluded that she can survive in the forest.

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Alba's safety concerns conservationists

The rescue of the critically endangered orangutan was critical for the foundation, and its survival in the wild even more. The foundation had constantly been worried about the safety of the rare species out there, and her recent sighting promised relief to the conservationists.

Citing other challenges, the foundation said, “Thorough examinations of Alba revealed that she has reduced vision and hearing. This may challenge her survivability in the rainforest significantly. Moreover, her unique white coat makes her easier to spot and more attractive for poaching and illegal trade. Even though the rainforest areas managed by BOS Foundation are protected and monitored more than other rainforest areas, Alba needs heightened protection and monitoring because of her uniqueness."

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