Extremely Rare Albino Orangutan Found in Indonesia

The foundation nursing the primate back to health says they have never taken care of an albino orangutan and cannot find others like it in the wild.

A rare albino orangutan was rescued earlier this month from a village in Indonesia where it was kept in a cage.

The five-year-old orangutan, which was rescued from the Kapuas Hulu district in Borneo, has made quite a comeback, gaining up to 10 pounds in a couple of weeks.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is caring for the primate, according to the Telegraph. Orangutans are critically endangered, meaning they are one step away from extinction, and the foundation cares for close to 500 of them. The foundation reported that it had never cared for an albino orangutan at the rehabilitation center in its 25-year history.

The foundation held an international campaign asking for name suggestions from around the world. Ultimately it chose “Alba,” meaning “white” in Latin and “dawn” in Spanish.

"Hopefully a new dawn will come for these precious animals," the group said in a statement reported by the Jakarta Post.

Quelle: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/rare-albino-orangutan-found-indonesia/