The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only globally recognised organisation providing standards for identifying legitimate animal sanctuaries and rescue/rehabilitation centres, has announced that IAR’s Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Indonesia has achieved GFAS Accreditation as of 17 January 2014. The centre has become the first GFAS accredited facility in Asia.
Accreditation means that the centre meets the comprehensive and rigorous definition of a true sanctuary/rehabilitation centre and is providing humane and responsible care to the orangutans, and that it meets rigorous and peer-reviewed standards for governance, operations, administration and veterinary care established by GFAS. The accreditation status also provides a clear and trusted means for the public, donors, and government agencies to recognise IAR’s Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre as an exceptional facility.“IAR’s centre not only has excellent and detailed care protocols but also has a solid operational foundation in place to support its growth and long-term sustainability,” says Jackie Bennett, GFAS’ Deputy Director of Great Apes and Regional Accreditation. “We also commend IAR for the development of its education and outreach programmes and its commitment to mitigating human-orangutan conflict and engaging local communities in its orangutan conservation efforts.”
“We’re all delighted at the news of this accreditation,” says Alan Knight, IAR Chief Executive. “It bears testimony to the total commitment of our team in Indonesia and is an endorsement of the high standards they maintain in every area of their work. The fact that our centre is currently the only facility in Asia to have received the accreditation makes it an even more remarkable achievement. I couldn’t be more proud!”
Karmele Llano Sanchez, Programme Director of Yayasan IAR Indonesia adds: “Without exception, every member of our team has played a part in helping us achieve this valuable accreditation. In every aspect of our work we try always to pay close attention to detail in order to provide the best care for the orangutans in our centre and give them the best chance of survival once they are returned to the wild. I’m pleased to see that GFAS has acknowledged our holistic approach to the problem and recognised our efforts to tackle it on every level, from hands-on rescue of individual animals through to long-term education and engagement of local communities in orangutan conservation.” Karmele, who is one of the founders of the organization, adds: “We are also conscious of the need to continue making improvements and we’re pleased that GFAS will be able to help us with this process”.
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