JAKARTA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua -- Indonesian authorities have saved two babies of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans from a wildlife trafficking and detained a man suspected of illegal trading.
The two babies of Sumatran orangutans were seized at the suspect's house in North Sumatra province's district of Langkat, Director General of the Law Enforcement at the Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry Rasio Ridho said in a statement on Sunday.
The 38-year-old man with an initial of IG, who owns the baby orangutans, was declared a suspect of wildlife trafficking and could face a five-year-jail term and a fine of 100 million rupiahs (7,283.3 U.S. dollars) if convicted.
IG was detained after a raid at his house, according to Rasio.
The official urged all parties involved to fight wildlife trafficking, stressing that the government has given priority to the protection of rare animals.
"We must protect our biodiversity particularly orangutans as it is an exotic animal and only found in Indonesia. Therefore, the perpetrator of the crime against orangutans must be punished as harsh as possible," he said.
Based on the evidence, IG is believed to be a member of an international ring of animal trafficking, according to Jefri Susianto, head of the Mount Leuser National Park Center in the province.
The population of Sumatran orangutan, which is one of the three species of orangutans and occurs only on Indonesia's island of Sumatra, is estimated at about 7,000 as of 2015.
