From village to conservation forest, Indonesian orangutan finds a new home

Jala, a male adult orangutan, lies while getting anesthesia for medical tests before being released back into the wild by conservationist group International Animal Rescue (IAR) Indonesia and country's environment and forestry ministry agency to the conservation forest of Tanagupa, part of Gunung Palung National Park, in North Kayong regency, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, May 4, 2021. Courtesy of International Animal Rescue (IAR) and Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK)/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - An adult male orangutan has been released into an Indonesian national park by conservationists and the government after he was caught eating a villager's coconut plants on Borneo island.

As the orangutan habitat diminishes due to land use, conflicts between communities and the great apes have increased. Indonesia has designated several areas in Kalimantan as safe havens for Borneo orangutans, which are on the World Wildlife Fund's endangered list.