BBKSDA Rescues 570 Wild Animals, Endemic Kalimantan Gibbon Returned to Habitat

The South Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) successfully rescued 570 wild animals from illegal trade and unauthorised captivity during the first half of 2026. The majority of the animals were birds and reptiles, but a key highlight was the repatriation of a white-bearded gibbon, an endemic primate from Kalimantan that was discovered in Parepare. The four-year-old white-bearded gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis) was found at a resident’s home in Parepare City following a public tip-off. “This gibbon is not native to Sulawesi. We will translocate it back to its natural habitat in Central Kalimantan,” said Head of BBKSDA South Sulawesi, Hasnawir, during a press conference in Makassar on Wednesday (1/7). The agency’s medical team confirmed the primate is healthy and ready for the long journey home. This translocation is a crucial part of efforts to return endemic wildlife to their original ecosystems, as the white-bearded gibbon is a protected species whose population is increasingly threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Of the 570 animals rescued between January and June 2026, 409 were birds of various species, including black-capped lories, black-headed lorikeets, pariah kites, Ternate lorikeets, purple-naped lories, dusky lories, and black-naped orioles. A total of 148 reptiles were also secured, comprising emerald tree monitors, green tree pythons, Papuan water pythons, white-lipped pythons, and Papuan monitor lizards. Additionally, officers confiscated three primates (a long-tailed macaque and the white-bearded gibbon) and ten mammals, all of which were Timor deer. On the same occasion, BBKSDA Sulsel released 24 animals back into their natural habitat, consisting of 20 Japanese white-eyes, three black-naped orioles, and a reticulated python. To facilitate conservation reporting and licensing, BBKSDA Sulsel launched a digital service named Pinisi (Pusat Integrasi Networking Informasi Satu Data berbasis Artificial Intelligence). The platform allows the public to report incidents via WhatsApp, enabling officers to respond and take swift action. “Pinisi includes services for conservation area entry permits (SIMAKSI), domestic plant and wildlife transport permits (SATS-DN), captive breeding reporting, and public complaints,” Hasnawir explained. He reminded the public not to keep or trade protected wildlife, warning that such actions carry criminal sanctions under prevailing laws. “We urge anyone who finds or possesses protected wild animals to report to BBKSDA Sulsel immediately. Rescue is better than leaving the animals in the wrong hands,” he stressed.