With her white fur and piercing blue eyes, Alba the Bornean orangutan is the rarest and most distinctive ape in the entire world.
Alba is the only albino orangutan in the world; she was rescued from a cage and released back into the wild in 2017.
Her uniqueness is not only beautiful, but also dangerous, as she is an obvious target for poachers and wild animal traffickers.
Alba, like all albinos, is unfortunately more susceptible to skin diseases as well as hearing and vision loss than her pigmented counterparts.
The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation was informed of the good news and took precautions to ensure her safety. They published her story and spent months raising funds to buy Alba her very own island, as she would never be safe in her previous home.
Alba’s dream became a reality when, after raising $80,000, her story went viral and the foundation purchased a remote island that was transformed into a refuge for Alba and three of her friends.
The ‘forest-island’ is home to a 25-acre jungle surrounded by a dense network of canals. BOS provide additional security as well as 24-hour monitoring of health and actions.
Nico Hermanu, interactions police officer for BOS, told The Dodo, “The brand-new forest-island for Alba will be guarded 24/7 by a security team patrolling the island on a regular basis.” “The refugee effort also requires participation from the city government and local communities. Thus, we can confidently assert that Alba must be well-protected on her brand-new island forest.”
As a result of being removed from her natural habitat when she was young, Alba was unable to discover specific requirements for survival.
Therefore, she will undergo forest training and socialization sessions to learn the natural way that they would have learned from their mothers.
The world’s rarest and most unique ape will ultimately be able to live in safety.
