The world's only known albino orangutan, who boasts white fur and clear blue eyes, has recently been spotted and photographed alive and well in the rainforests of Indonesia.
The ape, who is named 'Alba', was first rescued by conservationists way back in 2017. She was locked in a cage and kept as a pet by villagers in the Indonesian region of Borneo, and her dreadful living conditions meant that she was severely malnourished, dehydrated, and riddled with parasites.
Another orangutan was spotted trying to stop a digger from destroying its home:Alba was taken in by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), and under their care, she spent the next two years recuperating. In December 2018 she was released into the wild jungle of a 10-hectare man-made forest island near the BOSF's rehabilitation center in Kalimantan.
However, she's been spotted in the wilderness by activists this week by activists examining another ape and appears to be thriving in her natural habitat.
In a statement on their website, the BOSF stated: "While monitoring Unyu, one of [the] newly released orangutans, the team looked on as he encountered Alba, the only albino orangutan known to man."
"Their immediate greeting served as a heart-warming reminder that during her time at the BOS Foundation's Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centre, Alba had been housed together with Unyu."
Meanwhile, Indra Exploitasia, the environment ministry's director of biodiversity conservation, stated: "After we learned that she can build nests, forage independently and is no longer dependent on human assistance we concluded that she can survive in the forest."
Indra added: "I requested the post-release monitoring (PRM) team - consisting of staff from the National Park Authority and the BOS Foundation - to continue observing Alba for the next three months. We really want to ensure that Alba can thrive and live independently in this national park."