Our Work - Orangutan Rescue

Karmele Llano Sanchez 

Programme Director

Karmele Llano Sanchez is the founder and Programme Director of IAR Indonesia. After training as a vet in her native Spain, and the Netherlands, Karmele moved to Indonesia to volunteer with a number of rescue centres, before founding our slow loris and macaque centre in Ciapus in 2007, and our orangutan centre in in Ketapang in 2009. Karmele oversees all the projects we run, working both as a vet and using her considerable experience in Indonesia to ensure the smooth running of our primate rehabilitation and conservation projects. ​

Tantyo Bangun

Chairperson

Tantyo Bangun is the chairperson of IAR Indonesia, overseeing our projects, driving our strategy in Indonesia and working with the relevant government agencies to obtain support for our work. A graduate of the University of Indonesia, he brings considerable experience to his role, having served as Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Indonesia, as the Staff Editor of Matra magazine and as a documentary maker and photographer. 

Widi Nugroho

Secretary

Widi, a graduate of accounting and law at the University of Indonesia, first joined IAR as a consultant, advising us between 2010 and 2013 on our land purchases in Ketapang. Always interested in conservation law, he officially joined us as Secretary in 2014, and is in charge of dealing with all permits, legal issues, employee human resources and liaising with donors, universities and government departments. Prior to his job at Secretary, Widi worked for the Java Post newspaper and for a television company. 

Adi Irawan

Operations Manager

Adi is a qualified vet and joined IAR in 2009 when we first established the orangutan project in Ketapang, bringing his experience in zoos to the care of the orangutans in our then newly established. On account of his hard work, dedication and expertise, Adi is now the operations manager in Ketapang, ensuring a smooth running of the centre and all our projects and field teams. 

Argitoe Rantang

Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release Coordinator

Argitoe has worked in orangutan rescue and rehabilitation for over ten years, and has extensive experience in rehabilitation, behavioural observations and conducting habitat surveys. He coordinates all field activities for the rescue and survey teams, and ensures that we deal with local communities on rescues in a correct manner.

Riyan

Education and Public Awareness Supervisor

Riyan has a bachelor of chemistry education from Tanjungpura University, and has worked for IAR since June 2015, after completing internships in Australia and South East Asia. He brings his considerable expertise, drive and passion to our education projects, developing and overseeing our activities to raise awareness of orangutan conservation issues in West Kalimantan. 

Erik

Pematang Gadung Community Officer

Erik has been working in conservation since 2010, principally in Pematang Gadung, and was the ideal candidate when IAR expanded its activities in to this area. Working for us since 2015 as the Community Officer, he coordinated all our conservation activities in Pematang Gadung, and our conservation work to protect the area’s 21,000 hectare Community Forest. 

Gustina 

Finance Supervisor

Gustina has worked as the Finance Supervisor at IAR since 2011, and ensures the finances and tax reports for our Kalimantan projects are up to date, and we can accurately report where all your donations go. 

Suherman

Animal Keeper Coordinator

Suherman is the coordinator of the animal keepers in charge of the orangutans. He is responsible for making sure the orangutans are healthy and behaviourally sound, and for socialising them, creating and providing enrichment, monitoring their behaviour and selecting individuals suitable for release. He is also an integral part of our orangutan rescue team.

Heribertus

Media and Communication Officer

Heribertus manages all our media and publicity, and participates in various IAR activities, such as rescues, reintroductions and release and he is responsible for many of the amazing photographs and updates you see on the IAR UK website.

Sumarni

Vet Assistant

Sumarni began working with IAR in 2010, first as a baby sitter, then became assistant coordinator animal keeper. Committed and with a love of orangutans, she has trained as a vet assistant and now provides invaluable support to our medical team, especially in baby care.

Susi

Vet Assistant

Susi is the newest member of our vet team, and joins us from the baby school, where she previously worked as a baby sitter. Her experience with the babies and her soothing presence is a great help to our vet team. 

Utai

Survey, Release & Monitoring Coordinator Assistant

Abd. Rachman, known as Utai, is our Survey, Release & Monitoring Coordinator Assistant. He has worked with IAR since 2013 and is responsible for monitoring our orangutans after we release them. We analyse the data he collects to make sure our released orangutans are showing behaviours we would expect of wild orangutans.

Busran

Field Coordinator

Busran has worked with wild orangutans since 2004, and has extensive experience of habitat and phenology surveys. Since joining IAR, Buran has coordinated all orangutan habitat feasibility surveys and provides advice to other NGOs working in the field. He is also a very important part of our Survey Release and Monitoring field team.

Richa Feri Yuliana 

Paramedic

Richa, known as Chacha, has worked with IAR for almost five years. A trained human nurse, she works in the medical team, providing support to the vet team, the close similarity between humans and orangutans making her experience perfect. As well as orangutans, Chaha takes care of the health of our staff in Ketapang. 

Heru

Geographic Information System Officer

Heru has worked for IAR since 2015, his skills are providing support for GIS data projects, helping IAR employee development, implementing and maintaining GIS infrastructure and undertaking technical work related to designing, maintaining and producing GIS data.

Wisnu Hadibroto

IT Officer

Wisnu is the IT specialist at our orangutan centre. He has worked for us since 2009 and his experience and work keeps us connected with our offices in the UK and USA.