Return to the wild: 10 endangered primates flown more than 7,000 MILES from Kent to their native Indonesia

Ten endangered primates were given a fresh start this month after flying more than 7,000 miles from Kent to Indonesia.

The primates – a mix of Javan gibbons and langurs – were all born at Port Lympne Reserve or Howletts Wild Animal Park, both in Kent.

The animal rescue charity Aspinall Foundation flew them more than 7,000 miles to their native Indonesia just in time for the New Year.

During the journey they were loaded into specially designed crates before being transported to Heathrow Airport, where they departed on a commercial flight.

All primates were conscious for the entire journey – except for napping – and had access to their usual diet of root vegetables, fine beans and leafy greens.

They also each traveled with a packed lunch containing their favorite items, selected by their caregivers.

After landing in Indonesia, they were transported to a rehabilitation center in Java, where they rang in 2025 by swinging between Indonesian trees in their native country as they prepared for rewilding.

After several months they are released into a protected area of ​​8,000 hectares (80 km²) to live as free animals among 90 different tree species.

Ten endangered primates were given a fresh start this month after flying more than 7,000 miles from Kent to Indonesia. At the age of 16, Vitus the Javanese langur was the oldest of the group that made the journey

Among the traveling gibbons was Satu, a cheeky young man with a reputation for deliberately causing his keepers to starve (pictured in Britain)

Nine-year-old Bogel also rang in the new year, waving among his native trees (photo before traveling)

The primates – a mix of Javan gibbons and langurs – were all born at Port Lympne Reserve or Howletts Wild Animal Park, both in Kent.

Both primate species are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning they are at a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

Fewer than 4,500 adult Javan gibbons are thought to remain in the wild, with habitat loss, hunting and the illegal pet trade blamed for their reduced numbers.

Also called Silvery gibbons, this species has adapted to swinging overhead and can easily cover a distance of 10 meters from branch to branch.

Among the traveling gibbons is Satu, a brash young man with a reputation for deliberately startling his keepers, who arrived in the land of his ancestors just in time for his ninth birthday.

He traveled with fellow countrymen Kadua, six years old, nine-year-old Bogel, seven-year-old Daru, nine-year-old Pagang, ten-year-old Made and eight-year-old Opak.

Javan langurs – of which there are three in this group – are also known as the gray leaf monkey and number only 5,500 adults in the wild.

They are about one meter tall and have long, thin limbs with dark, long fur, speckled with lighter shades.

Among those who also made the switch were 16-year-old Vitus, 10-year-old Taman and Kaget, who is the youngest at eight years old.

The animals have been taken to a rehabilitation center in Java, where they will spend several months preparing for rewilding

The animals have been taken to a rehabilitation center in Java, where they will spend several months preparing for rewilding

The 8,000 hectare protected area where the primates will be released to live as free animals

The 8,000 hectare protected area where the primates will be released to live as free animals

Amos Courage, Director of Aspinall Foundation’s Overseas Projects, said: ‘We are very proud of our projects in Indonesia.

‘These projects will not only enable authorities to implement wildlife crime legislation by providing a solution for seized pets, but also help protect depleted forest and water catchment areas where the animals are released, creating habitats restored and vital resources protected.

‘I’m sure our partner parks, Howletts and Port Lympne, will miss this group of characters, but they all deserve a very enriching life that only the forests of Java can truly offer them.’

The charity has been working in Java since 2010 with projects to rescue and confiscate primates from the illegal pet trade.

They have since rehabilitated and reintroduced dozens of them into the wild, in addition to repatriating captive-bred primates in Britain.

Their projects are managed in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

Aspinall’s Javan gibbon breeding program has led to just under 200 captive births in Britain, and this group is only the latest to be re-wilded as part of their ‘Back to Wild’ campaign.

The charity believes that animals belong in the wild and believes that reintroducing animals to their natural habitat can help conserve wildlife and ecosystems.

Their ambitious rewilding plans also include flying a herd of 13 elephants more than 7,000 km around the world to return them to their ancestral homeland in Kenya.

WHY IS THE NUMBER OF NON-HUMAN PRIMATES REDUCING?

Behind the collapse in numbers lies an increase in industrial agriculture, large-scale ranching, logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building and road construction.

The illegal bushmeat trade – the killing of monkeys and apes for their meat – is also decimating the animals, as is the changing climate and the spread of diseases from humans to monkeys.

Growing trees to produce palm oil – used in many popular foods – poses a particular threat to primates in Indonesia, as does mining for gold and sapphires in Madagascar.

Because many species live in rainforests, clearing millions of hectares of forest to meet increasing demand for timber or to clear land for agriculture destroys their habitat, making populations more fragmented.