Ten endangered primates were given a fresh start this month, after being flown more than 7,000 miles from Kent to Indonesia.
The primates – a mix of Javan gibbons and langurs – were all born at either Port Lympne Reserve or Howletts Wild Animal Park, both in Kent.
The Aspinall Foundation, an animal conservation charity, flew them more than 7,000 miles to their native land of Indonesia just in time for the New Year.
The trip involved loading them into specially-designed crates before transporting them to Heathrow airport where they took off on a commercial flight.
All primates were conscious throughout the journey – other than having a nap – and had access to their usual diet of root vegetables, fine beans and leafy greens.
They also each travelled with a packed lunch of their favourite items selected by their keepers.
After landing in Indonesia they were transported to a rehabilitation centre in Java, where they rang in 2025 by swinging among Indonesian trees in their native land as they prepare for rewilding.
After several months, they will be released into a protected site covering 8,000 hectares (80 km²) to live as free animals among 90 different species of tree.
Ten endangered primates were given a fresh start this month, after being flown more than 7,000 miles from Kent to Indonesia. At the age of 16, Vitus the Javan langur was the oldest of the group to make the journey
The primates – a mix of Javan gibbons and langurs – were all born at either 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 extinction in the wild.
It is thought there are less than 4,500 mature Javan gibbons left in the wild with habitat loss, hunting and the illegal pet trade to blame for their diminished numbers.
This species, also known as Silvery gibbons, have adapted for over-hand swinging and can easily cover a distance of 10m from branch to branch.
Among the travelling gibbons is Satu, a cheeky young male with a reputation for deliberately startling his keepers, who arrived in the land of his ancestors just in time for his ninth birthday.
He travelled alongside fellow Javan gibbons Kadua, aged six, nine-year-old Bogel, seven-year-old Daru, nine-year-old Pagang, 10-year-old Made and eight-year-old Opak.
Javan langurs – of which there are three in this group – are also known as the grizzled leaf monkey and only number up to 5,500 mature individuals in the wild.
They stand about one metre tall and have long, thin limbs with dark, long fur speckled with lighter shades.
Those who also made the move included 16-year-old Vitus, 10-year-old Taman and Kaget, who is the youngest at eight years old.
The animals were taken to a rehabilitation centre in Java, where they will spend several months preparing for rewilding
The 8,000-hectare protected site where the primates will be released to live as free animals
Amos Courage, director of The Aspinall Foundation’s Overseas Projects, said: ‘We are very proud of our projects in Indonesia.
‘These projects not only allow the authorities to implement wildlife crime law by providing a solution for confiscated pets, but also help protect depleted forest and water catchment areas where the animals are released, helping to restore habitats and protect vital resources.
‘I am sure our partner parks, Howletts and Port Lympne will miss this group of characters, however, they all deserve a highly enriching life, that only the forests in Java can truly give them.’
The charity has been working in Java since 2010 with projects to rescue and confiscate primates from the illegal pet trade.
Since then they have rehabilitated and reintroduced dozens of them back into the wild alongside the repatriation of captive-bred primates in the UK.
Their projects are cooperatively managed with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.
Aspinall’s Javan gibbon breeding programme has led to just under 200 captive births in the UK, and this group are just the latest to be rewilded as part of their ‘Back to Wild’ campaign.
The charity believes that animals belong in the wild and it is their conviction that the reintroduction of animals into their natural habitats can help conserve wildlife and ecosystems.
Their ambitious rewilding plans also include flying a herd of 13 elephants more than 7,000km across the globe to return them to their ancestral homelands in Kenya.
