All the young orangutans in our care had previously been kept as pets. This was a local issue and not a commercial part of the international pet trade. People out hunting birds and deer, or perhaps coming across crop-raiding orangutans in the forest, would often shoot the mother and then bring a ‘cute’ baby orangutan back as a pet. We would never hear the whole story, or find out what happened to the mothers.

Many families were reluctant to give them up, but we worked with the local authorities to encourage ‘handovers’ of these pets, so that they could be rehabilitated for release back into the wild. The young orangutans that we care for all have individual characters, and some learn faster than others. Under the care of our vet and field staff, they are all learning the skills they need to return to a life in the wild.

Meet the orangutans living at Camp JL, Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo.

Mona (female, 3 years) and Boy (male, 5 years) spend their time trying to make nests and often use them to rest in when they are tired. Nyunyu (female, 5 years) was brought to us around the same time as Mona. She was found tied up in a garden. Despite being kept as a pet for about two years, Nyunyu displays wild behaviour.

Boy and Nyunyu play together and being so active, it’s difficult to get them back to their enclosure. Other orangutans return to the enclosure when it’s raining, but Nyunyu just wants to stay out and play!

Timtom (female 3.5 years) was just nine months old when she was handed over in January 2016. Adib (male 2.5 years) was found in October 2017 when he was about 1.5 years old. He is the youngest orangutan in our care. Mona plays with Timtom and Adib, encouraging them to climb high into the trees.