Plans are afoot to release an orphan orangutan named Mowgli into the Sepilok-Kabili forest in Sabah, adjacent to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC), despite our pleas and requests for the Sabah Wildlife Department not to do so.

Mowgli, who will turn 13 this year, arrived at the SORC aged only a month old after his mother was likely killed by oil palm plantation workers.

At two, Mowgli was sent to the 5-star Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort a few hours away from SORC for commercial purposes, but under the pretence of rehabilitation.

Next, he was sent to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Zoo and used in its animal shows. At the zoo Mowgli was made to paint, among other tricks.

Now that Mowgli is too big to be used in animal shows at the Lok Kawi Zoo, the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) wants to release him into the Sepilok-Kabili forest for tourism purposes.

Friends of the Orangutans (FOTO) published our statement in our website to explain why Mowgli must not be released.

Mowgli is too habituated to humans and will be a danger to himself, other orangutans, and possibly even tourists at the SORC.

Since orangutans ( photo ) are genetically very similar to humans, direct or close contact between humans and orangutans risks transmission of disease both ways.

Stop using orangutans for tourism

We first contacted the SWD regarding Mowgli in July 2014.

Only after six subsequent e-mails over three months did we get a reply from the department to explain their plans to release Mowgli into the Sepilok-Kabili forest.

In their second and final e-mail to FOTO, the department tried to justify their release plans for Mowgli. This was in November 2014.

Since then, all our e-mails have gone unanswered, leaving us with no choice but to campaign to stop Mowgli from being exploited further for tourism purposes.

Mowgli is surely one of the unluckiest orangutans to have ever lived.

Instead of living free and independently as a wild orangutan at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, he has been exploited for financial profit since two years old after being made an orphan.

Mowgli should be treated with dignity and respect and not be used further as a tool for commercial reasons.

Since his chance of a life in the wild has been wrecked forever by irresponsible individuals, Mowgli has to remain a captive animal.

We say this grudgingly, of course, as all orangutans should be where they belong - in a forest living far away from humans.

UPRESHPAL SINGH is director of Friends of The Orangutans.