Police arrest 5 who killed orangutan in Borneo with air gun
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Four Indonesian farmers and a 13-year-old boy admitted they stabbed, clubbed and shot a critically endangered orangutan at least 130 times with an air gun to protect their pineapple crop, police said Monday.
Villagers spotted the wounded orangutan in a lake in the East Kutai district of East Kalimantan province on Borneo two weeks ago. It was taken to a clinic at an orangutan protection centre but died while being treated.
Local police chief detective Yuliansyah said four male members of a family, including the 13-year-old, and their neighbour were arrested last week.
“All the suspects have told police that they shot, stabbed and clubbed the orangutan,” said Yuliansyah, who goes by a single name. “They did it because they considered the animal to be a pest that ruined the family’s pineapple plantation.”