Like a proud parent witnessing their children graduate from school, we are delighted to see that Pegi and Okto have made progress in our soft-release programme and finally be released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve! This is tremendous news, not only for these two young individuals, but also for the overall population of this critically endangered species in the wild.

Before being handed over to local government officials BKSDA and Orangutan Foundation staff, Pegi and Okto were both kept inside small cages as pets. It’s likely that the orphaned pair had never climbed a tree before, so they would need to be given time to learn the ways of the forest before being released to fend for themselves.

Pegi was rescued in the summer of 2019 having spent more than seven years in a cramped wooden crate. Her owner fed Pegi on a diet of rice, noodles, and fizzy drinks so it would take some time for her to trust our staff and adjust to forest foods. In the Foundation’s soft-release programme Pegi seemed to quickly acclimatize to a life in the trees and before long she was climbing and building nests confidently in the forest around Camp Buluh. Her natural instincts were integral to her development, and on the 26th August 2021, Pegi was taken deeper into the forest and released into the protected habitat.

Following an orphan orangutan’s release, our staff endeavour to follow the young primate from a distance for the first week to ensure that they have adjusted to their new independent life successfully. Within the first couple of days of her release however, Pegi was nowhere to be seen. It seems that she is so confident exploring her new surroundings on her own that she has travelled deep into a swampy area of forest where she cannot be followed! Our team will continue to be vigilant and keep an eye out for her in the future, but it is a very encouraging sign of independence from this young great ape.

Okto on the other hand showed no intention of being wild when he was rescued as a three-year-old in October 2014. He too began life as a pet, but in our soft-release programme Okto gathered quite a reputation as a mischievous young orangutan. Initially taken to Camp JL within the Reserve to practice tree-climbing, Okto seemed to prefer playing on the ground which is why our team decided to move him to Camp Buluh, a camp which is more submerged by water and would hopefully encourage him into the trees. Okto however had other ideas, and instead his love affair with playing in the water began!

After a ‘interesting’ seven years in soft-release, Okto finally started to showcase the final skill needed for the wild this year- nest-building. Okto appeared to have matured after all and was now ready for an independent future in the wild.

In true Okto fashion, he continues to be a character since his release into the forest. At nearby Camp Rasak, Okto has been spotted a handful of times exploring a new patch of forest and interacting with other wild and reintroduced orangutans. Already he has been observed attempting to copulate with Acuy several times and when approaching Labetty with her infant Leon, the mother orangutan made it clear Okto was not welcome, at which point he disappeared quickly into the forest. Regardless, he appears to be adjusting to independence admirably. Despite his release into the forest, we are confident that we haven’t seen the last of Okto’s colourful antics!

To complete the final chapter of their journey to the wild, Pegi and Okto have come so far from their difficult early lives in captivity. Our field staff already miss the pair’s lively company at Camp Buluh, but it is comforting to know that our years of hard work have borne fruit and we could offer these young great apes a second chance of an independent life in the forest.

This essential care for orphaned orangutans would not be possible with the support of our dedicated orangutan adopters. We would like to thank everyone who has adopted Okto over the years, and please follow the link below to see how you can adopt another orphan in our care today!