2021 - A year to remember

With your support, 2021 has undoubtedly been a year to remember:

New Life. After nine months of waiting, there’s nothing more exciting for our orangutan monitoring teams than to see a female arriving at camp with an infant; and this happened seven times in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in 2020!

Remarkably in 2021, we’ve continued to witness even more orangutan births. First came Sheila with her infant Silva, followed by Ilik with her infant Ilan, and recently we’ve spotted Camelia with her infant Tasia! When we consider that our team have documented 92 wild orangutan births in this forest between 2003 and 2021, it shows that this Reserve is clearly an optimum habitat for this species. Knowing we have increased the population of a critically endangered species by 92 has to be one of our proudest achievements.

Sheila & Silva

Ilik & Ilan

Camelia & Tasia

Second Chances. When restrictions from the pandemic eased, it gave our field team the opportunity to complete the final and perhaps most rewarding part of our orangutan soft-release programme, to release orphans back into the wild where they belong.

Okto, Pegi, and Bumi were each previously kept as pets so they had many skills to learn without their mother. It’s therefore understandable for them to take some time to become fully prepared for an independent life. Together this trio had spent almost a decade under the tutelage of our staff, until this year the time had finally come for them to be released and explore the forest on their own.

Following these departures, this year we also welcomed a new face into our care when one-year-old Sinta was discovered alone and abandoned in the Reserve. In soft-release she will have the opportunity to strengthen her forest skills so that she too can be released one day!

Okto's release

Pegi

Bumi's release

Sinta

A Flourishing Forest. We know that tropical rainforests are the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems on earth, but there’s so much of this rich habitat we cannot see. By strategically positioning remote camera traps and carrying out surveys in the dead of night, we can glimpse a little more into this hidden world.

This year our team at Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station have continued to monitor the health of Tanjung Puting National Park’s biodiversity by recording sightings of vulnerable species such as tarsiers, clouded leopards, sun bears, proboscis monkeys, false gharial crocodiles, and many more. If we needed reminders to why we should protect this forest, what better examples than these!

Working Remotely. You don’t get the best Wi-Fi signal in the rainforest, but technology has enabled us to communicate and engage with wider audiences from homes and offices this year. On International Day of Forests in March, our Director Ashley Leiman OBE together with Ian Redmond OBE and Dr Ian Singleton OBE hosted an enlightening live webinar to discuss the past, present, and future of orangutan conservation.

In the field our team have also embraced this new way of working. Conservation Corner for example is a section our local office where youth groups, students, researchers, and members of the conservation community would meet to exchange strategies and ideas. Now this discussion is often held online which means that it can be shared quickly and be accessible to a wider audience.

Cooperation. In June we were delighted to sign our third Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment & Forestry allowing Orangutan Foundation to continue our work in Central Kalimantan.

Following the tightest restrictions of the pandemic, our engagement team couldn’t wait to get back out to schools and local communities this year. Several educational events were hosted in 2021, including some wonderful activities for Orangutan Caring Week in November. Our dedicated team visited nearby villages and schools to raise awareness by handing out leaflets, books, and T-shirts. They were thrilled to see such enthusiasm on the faces of younger generations, and it was eye-opening to understand more about how animals from the forest and rivers impact the daily lives of local people. This cooperation and knowledge is essential to continue our vital work.

Our Engagement Team

Education Workshops

Community Engagement

Teaching in the classroom

Future Forests. Forest fires occur each year in South East Asia. Fortunately though in 2021, we were pleased to see that the habitats we protect were not severely affected by fires, instead it was flooding that impacted many of our forest guard posts. This too is a reminder that the impacts of global warming are undeniably being felt in this part of the world.

Following the COP26 summit, our Forest Restoration team cultivated and planted around 30,000 young tree saplings this year to help reduce the impacts of climate change. Additionally, they decided to reduce our plastic waste by making the switch to biodegradable sapling bags. These bags are hand-made from pandan leaves by local villagers, providing an additional source of income and encouraging nearby communities to support their natural world.

New eco-bags

Hand-made by local people

Replanting saplings

Your Support. 2021 has been unique in many ways, but as in previous years, we have still received unwavering support from members, followers, and fundraisers this year.

Your commitment helped us reach our fundraising targets for our Green Match Fund, Christmas Challenge, and for International Orangutan Day you protected over 2,500 acres of orangutan habitat! Not to mention the sponsored bike rides, fun run’s, and bake sales which have all made a massive contribution towards the protection of critically endangered orangutans and the safeguarding of their crucial forest environment.

Running for orangutans

Going orange for orangutans

Hiking for orangutans

Thank you to everyone who has supported our ongoing conservation programmes this year and with your help we look forward to another memorable year in 2022!

Even 2020 can be an Inspiration

We didn’t expect our recap of 2020 to be quite like this.

Last year we were looking forward to celebrating the Foundation’s 30th anniversary, however life had other plans for all of us. COVID-19 impacted the lives of everyone both in the UK and in Indonesia, which meant we had to adapt. To commemorate our anniversary, we published a booklet ‘Orangutan Foundation - 30 Years of Conservation’.

There were many things to inspire us in 2020, including the progress of orphaned orangutans like adventurous Okto (above) in our soft-release programme.

Orangutans share around 97% of their DNA with humans, which means COVID-19 poses a potential threat to this critically endangered species. Fortunately however, none of the orangutans we monitor, or any of our 60 local staff have been taken ill by the virus. In fact if a small silver lining can be drawn from this difficult situation, it is that working and communicating remotely where possible has meant that everyone has learnt how to embrace the use of new technology, Zoom!

Community outreach and education is one of the fundamental cornerstones of the Foundation’s work. Therefore during lockdown, our team had to find new ways of working together remotely.

Conservation Corner, before and during the pandemic. This is a platform where local youth groups, students, researchers, and members of the conservation community can meet to exchange concepts and ideas. One online session had close to 100 people joining in, demonstrating the concern that younger members of the community have for the environment.

Local events are vital to keep raising awareness and promote habitat protection, and luckily before restrictions last year, we were able to hold a number of community activities. Including:

Community Awareness Events

For Indonesian Primate Day in February 2020, we took to the streets of Pangkalan Bun with local schools to celebrate orangutans and raise awareness.

Socioeconomic and Biodiversity Training

In collaboration with local NGO Yayorin, we held a number of technical training sessions to help local people monitor orangutan populations within oil-palm concessions, logging concessions, and community lands. Without the input of these stakeholders we would not be able to achieve our aims.

Sustainable Livelihood Workshops

Early in the year, we worked with women from local communities to practice different farming and weaving techniques. This expertise can provide families with an alternative livelihood and offer an extra sense of stewardship towards the forest.

Educating in the Forest

Inspiring the next generation of conservationists is always something that motivates us. Since we couldn’t visit the schools, we brought the classrooms into the forest.

Our Forest Restoration Programme was active throughout the year. Our team planted an additional 16,500 young trees in areas which one day will bolster existing forest boundaries.

By cultivating saplings in specially designed nurseries and then planting them along existing forest boundaries, we can turn previously destroyed habitat into rainforest of the future.

Much like us, in 2020 the forest also faced a new challenge. The rainforests of Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo suffered some of the most severe flooding in recent memory, submerging large areas of habitat for much of the year. This is a stark contrast to previous years which would have been battling forest fires during the dry season. A striking reminder of how unpredictable our weather patterns have become as the impacts of climate change take hold.

The unpredictable nature of climate change. In September 2019 our guard post teams were fighting forest fires, and 12 months later their outposts are submerged by flooding.

Unsurprisingly, it was the orangutans that gave us the best news and most amusing stories last year. The orphaned orangutans in our soft-release programme for example continued to go from strength to strength as they develop new forest skills, with Okto in particular, impatient for an independent life in the wild.

In June, we were very excited to discover that wild orangutan Pauline had given birth in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Then shortly after, our field team were surprised again when Queen showed off her infant. Two recorded births of these great apes in such a short space of time is unusual, so to have observed a remarkable seven orangutan arrivals by the end of November was truly astonishing! It’s an extremely rare occurrence to have so many recorded births in less than 6 months, but a welcome boost for the future of this critically endangered species.

Pauline & Pancaran

We were very excited in late June when Pauline gave birth to Pancaran, the first new arrival to the Reserve in 2020.

Queen & Quentin

Our team spotted Queen with her newborn Quentin in July. The pair are often seen wading through the water in search of food.

Labetty & Leon

It was predicted that Labetty would give birth in August, but Leon was actually born a few weeks earlier. The pair have been doing very well in the forest.

Suwita & Samuel

In the same week that Labetty gave birth at Camp Rasak, Suwita showed off her new infant Samuel.

Betli & her newborn

Wild orangutan Betli gave birth in November but we’re still yet to identify the sex of her infant.

Maya & her infant

In the same week as her son Macho’s sixth birthday, Maya gave birth to her newest infant in November.

Passion & her infant

In late November, Passion presented the seventh and final orangutan arrival of 2020 to our field team.

We were truly blown away by your support in 2020, in spite of restrictions. In particular for our 30th Anniversary Appeal which launched last year in collaboration with SOCP (The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme), helping save all three species of orangutan.

Big Give Christmas Challenge

For our 30th anniversary, your support helped us raise over £25,000 towards our ongoing orangutan conservation programmes.

Fantastic Fundraisers

Despite the challenges, there were a number of dedicated fundraisers who supported us last year, especially younger generations. 12-year-old Will for example walked, ran, and cycled over 7,300 miles raising over £3,500!

Sponsor an Acre

For International Orangutan Day in August 2020, you sponsored over 1,000 acres of tropical forest in just one week!

Great Ape Gallery

Working with renowned wildlife photographer Ian Wood, together we raised awareness and funds towards the conservation of great apes.

Protecting all three orangutan species

We were pleased to see the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme’s Dr Ian Singleton receive an OBE in 2020, and by collaborating with SOCP, you helped us work towards a future for orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra.

2020 will be remembered for many reasons, but perhaps more than any other year, it must be remembered for the connection we have made between the welfare of our planet and the importance of nature. By continuing to save our forests, we can mitigate the impacts of climate change.

We have been inspired and overwhelmed by the generosity we received in 2020, even through these difficult times. We sincerely appreciate the devotion of all partners, fundraisers, and supporters on Orangutan Foundation’s 30th anniversary year, and look forward to keep making a difference in the years to come.

A message to our supporters

The outbreak of COVID-19 is a truly global challenge and an unprecedented time for all of us.

In our 30 years of work we have never before had to make such adjustments to our working environment both in the UK and in the field for the protection of wildlife and our staff.

As a result of this, for the first time since 1993 the Orangutan Foundation are sadly unable to publish and post out the Spring/Summer edition of our Red Ape newsletter. Unfortunately we are also currently not able to send orangutan updates and correspondence to our supporters in the post, instead we will be extending the membership and orangutan adoption renewals by three months.

We are extremely disappointed that this is a decision we have to make, but as a commitment to our loyal supporters, we will continue to keep you informed of our ongoing programmes via our website, social media, and email updates. If you’re yet to do so, please use the following link in order to subscribe to our monthly e-news messages and stay up to date on our news from the field.

While today’s challenges have resulted in some of our activities to be postponed, our dedicated teams in the UK and in the field are still working hard, and we hope that the next edition of Red Ape we can bring you later in the year will be a very special one celebrating our 30th anniversary.

Our mission is to provide a safe future for orangutans by protecting their crucial forest habitat, but the bedrock of our work has always been our loyal supporters, members and partners. We hope that we can rely on your support and understanding though this challenging time.

We wish the very best to all of our friends and supporters, hoping that you stay safe and healthy.

Protecting orangutan habitat

We only send out appeals when there is a real need for help – and right now, we urgently need funds to strengthen the protection of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, habitat of the critically endangered orangutan.  In January and February, our forest patrol staff detected and tackled fires, deliberately lit to clear land, next to the reserve. They prevented the fires from spreading and saved thousands of acres of peat swamp forest from going up in smoke. In March, we met with the provincial government to push for those responsible for starting the fires, to be held to account.

The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve totals 158,144 acres of tropical forest. The Foundation's staff put themselves at risk as they battled to protect the forests, home to a population of 500 orangutans. Half of these were reintroduced or translocated by the Orangutan Foundation and given a second chance of survival in the wild. We must make sure they are safe. 

It costs a quarter of a million pounds a year to protect the reserve and the wildlife. A significant commitment for a small charity, but a relatively small amount considering the invaluable riches and services the forests contain and provide.

The Orangutan Foundation runs and staffs eight guard posts in and around Lamandau to deter and prevent access to the forests. Our staff, all committed local Indonesian conservationists, patrol on foot or by boat. We use conservation drones and GIS to map and document illegal activities.

The map below shows the guard posts (red triangle on blue).

In 2017, we stopped illegal mining inside the reserve and since the beginning of 2018, our forest patrols have detected and stopped two cases of illegal logging.

Yet, despite years of investment in successful community awareness, there remain a small few who want to exploit the forest for their own interests.  As pressure for land increases our fight to protect standing forest, to stop it being logged or converted to oil palm, will only become more difficult. Protecting Lamandau is an ongoing commitment: we cannot temporarily close a guard post due to insufficient funds, in the hope that we might start up again next year. If we stop protecting the reserve, we know that we will lose it: the forest and its precious wildlife could be gone in an instant.

Bangkal is one of the orangutans at risk. Originally released into the neighbouring Tanjung Puting National Park, Bangkal was severely injured in 2000 when illegal loggers attacked him with boiling-hot oil. Following a long period of recovery, he was released into Lamandau, at Camp Gemini, one of our five release camps in the reserve. Bangkal, now strong, healthy and independent, has since become the dominant male.Aan, an adult female, was shot and permanently blinded in an oil-palm plantation. Foundation staff moved Aan to the Lamandau Reserve, where she now lives with round-the-clock monitoring by our staff and vet.

We also care for ten orphaned infant orangutans at our release camps - plus many dozens of reintroduced and translocated adults that are thriving in the wild under our protection. We owe it to these orangutans to keep their forest home safe.

Please DONATE SECURELY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, by calling 020 7724 2912, or by sending a cheque payable to ‘Orangutan Foundation’ to Orangutan Foundation, 7 Kent Terrace, London, NW1 4RP. If you are unable to donate immediately but want to make funding pledge, whether through fundraising or a delayed donation, please contact us to discuss options – we will work with you however we can.

Sponsor the protection of Lamandau Wildlife Reserve

• £15 protects 10 acres of forest for one year
• £37.50 protects 25 acres of forest for one year
• £75 protects 50 acres of forest for one year
• £150 protects 100 acres of forest for one year

We must act today to secure the future for orangutans, forests and people.

With sincere thanks,

Ashley Leiman OBE Founder & Director/Trustee

Have your donation doubled for free and support Borneo's wildlife conservationists

From 28^th November until 5^th December you can DOUBLE your donation through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, at no extra cost to yourself. Click here to donate and double your impact to support our work. This year our we are raising funds to inspire Borneo’s future conservationists. In this clip Arie, Research Manager of Pondok Ambung, our tropical forest research station in Tanjung Puting National Park, explains why it is important.

We use camera traps to monitor the wildlife in the forests surrounding Pondok Ambung. Watch this short clip to see some of the species we’ve managed to capture on film!

To protect Indonesia’s biodiversity, future conservationists need to be encouraged and supported.

Our research station is a base from where Indonesian students and international scientists can conduct research. Take a virtual tour below:

Please help us to ensure a future for orangutans, forests and people.

Thank you for your support. Click here to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION through the BIG GIVE.

Meet Aan the orangutan

To celebrate Orangutan Awareness Week, we are telling the stories of some of the orangutans who have been given a second chance thanks to your support for our work, but unfortunately, not all have a second chance in the wild. Aan

Aan is a blind orangutan. She first came to us in 2012, having been found stranded on an oil-palm plantation, after being shot over 100 times with an air gun. The injuries sustained left Aan blind. You can read more about her rescue here.

In 2016, we arranged for an ophthalmic surgeon to visit Aan to see if there was any chance of restoring her sight, with the hope that one day she could return to the wild. Aan underwent surgery but it soon became clear that the damage sustained was too severe and Aan would be permanantly blind.

Aan lives in a purpose-built enclosure at Camp Gemini, where our vet clinic is located, in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Our staff give her the best quality of life that is possible, but sadly Aan can never return to the forest, where she belongs.

Aan’s story serves as a heartbreaking reminder that the threat to orangutans caused by habitat loss is a very real one. Please support our care of Aan during Orangutan Awareness Week by donating here.

Meet Kotim the orangutan

It is Orangutan Awareness Week and each day we will bring you a story about the orangutans in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Thanks to your support we are protecting their forest home the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and keeping them wild and free. Kotim

Kotim was rescued in 2014. She was handed over to Orangutan Foundation after being illegally kept as pet. Sadly, we can only assume that her mother was killed.

At three-years-old Kotim was too young to be released back into the wild and so entered into the care of our Soft-Release Programme, at Camp Rasak in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo. Kotim joined another infant orphan, Torup. They became playmates and together practised their nest-building and climbing skills.

By April 2016, Kotim was deemed to have all the skills needed to survive in the forest and was successfully released. She is still occasionally seen by Orangutan Foundation staff. In December 2016, Kotim was seen with adult female orangutan Acuy and her infant, Ariel.

Support Kotim during Orangutan Awareness Week. Please donate to help us protect her tropical forest home. Keep forests standing and orangutans in the wild.

Please donate here.

Here's a video of Kotim whilst under our care in our Soft-Release Programme:

Meet Bangkal the orangutan

To celebrate Orangutan Awareness Week, we are telling the stories of some of the orangutans who have been given a second chance thanks to your support for our work. Bangkal

In the late 1980’s Bangkal was an orphaned infant, being kept as a pet. He was rescued, rehabilitated over many years, and then released into Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan Indonesian Borneo.

In 2000, when illegal logging was rife in Indonesia’s National Parks, Bangkal became the victim of a horrifying incident. Illegal loggers threw hot oil over him resulting in a burn down his face and neck.

During his recovery, Bangkal protected himself from annoying insects, by using a blanket to cover his injured face. Once recovered, Bangkal was released again but this time into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Now aged around 28 years-old, cheek-padded Bangkal is magnificent. He is the dominant male around Camp Gemini and is thought to have fathered many offspring.

Support Bangkal during Orangutan Awareness Week! Please donate here to help us protect Bangkal in his forest home.

Meet Holahonolulu the orangutan

To celebrate Orangutan Awareness Week, we are telling the stories of some of the orangutans who have been given a second chance thanks to your support for our work. Holahonolulu

Holahonolulu is a wild born adult female orangutan. Her mother, Huber, was released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in around 2000 and Holahonolulu was born in 2004. Huber unfortunately passed away in 2012.

Holahonolulu is often seen by Orangutan Foundation staff at the feeding station, close to Camp Gemini. She been observed with Bangkal, a dominant male, mating on several occasions.  Orangutans have a gestation period of about 9 months, it is slightly shorter than humans. Watch this space for the announcement of a new arrival in a few months’ time!

We are delighted when released orangutans go on to produce future generations. The orangutans of Lamandau Wildlife Reserve are now a healthy, viable and growing population.

Support Holahonolulu during Orangutan Awareness Week here! Please donate to help us protect her tropical forest home.

Help us win £7,000 from eBay charity!

Help us to win £7,000 and support our work to save the critically endangered orangutan. Simply visit our profile page on eBay https://charity.ebay.co.uk/charity/Orangutan-Foundation/23831  and click “Add to My favourites”.

By picking us as your favourite charity you could help us win up to £7,000. eBay for Charity will be counting every time a charity is selected as a favourite, the deadline is 31st October. The charities with the most favourites at the end of the month will win cash prizes.

So make us your favourite charity on eBay and invite your family and friends to do the same too. Every vote counts!

https://charity.ebay.co.uk/charity/Orangutan-Foundation/23831 

Once you’ve picked us, you’ll be able to easily donate to benefit us, whenever you buy or sell on eBay.

Thank you!

Q&A with the Programme Manager of the Orangutan Foundation

People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) have been supporting the Orangutan Foundation's work in Indonesian Borneo for a number of years. We would like to share this Q & A with PTES and our Indonesian Programme Manager, Ade Soeharso, as part of the launch of their new appeal to save orangutan habitat. 

Orangutan expert and Programme Manager at the Orangutan Foundation, Dr Ade Soeharso, answers some questions about the lives of orangutans, the dangers they are facing and ways anyone can save them now.

When did you start working at the Orangutan Foundation?

I’ve been a partner of the Orangutan Foundation since 2006. I was still working for the government then. Between 2008-2014 I worked part-time as a technical advisor of the Orangutan Foundation, and since 2015 I’ve worked full-time for the Orangutan Foundation.

What is the ideal habitat for an orangutan?

The ideal orangutan habitat is a mixture of swamp forest, lowland dry forest, and mountain forest. Ideally the habitat would be undisturbed and have an abundance of trees for food and nesting.

What is a protected forest?

In Indonesia, a protected forest is a one where the underlying area is protected from being logged or converted to other uses by land clearing.

What is palm oil? Why is the production of it so destructive?

Palm oil is a vegetable fat produced from oil-palm fruit. Almost all food products and many other common items use palm oil as a raw material. Therefore, palm oil is produced in large quantities because there is a huge market. Unfortunately, production of palm oil requires very large areas and which is achieved by cutting down large numbers of trees, which we call forest conversion and land clearing.

What have you found the hardest thing about working on the project so far?

The conservation of forests and the animals that depend on them is still often seen as less important than economic and development issues. It is challenging to mobilize the support of the parties in forest conservation efforts.

What is causing conflict between wildlife and the human population?

Due to deforestation, the amount of wildlife habitat left is ever decreasing. This means that the potential conflict between humans and orangutans will only increase. Orangutans and many other animals such as crocodiles, bears, and monkeys are forced out of the degraded forest and end up in community settlements and plantations in search of food. Seen as pests, they are often shot. We make sure that where possible, wild animals are translocated back into safe habitat. This is only possible if there is safe habitat left to move them back to.

What do you enjoy most about working with orangutans?

I enjoy it so much when I could see orangutans who have been rescued and then released growing and thriving in well-preserved habitat, successfully raising families of their own.

What time do you have to get up in the morning? Are orangutans early risers?

I get up early at 5:30 am. In the forest, orangutans rise between 5:00-5.30 am and leave their nests to set off in search of food.

How do you manage not to get lost in the forest when you’re following apes?

Basically, when following apes we’re never alone. There are always at least two people. As well as helping record data and times, they are locals who are more familiar with the forests so that we don’t get lost.

How many orangutans have you and your colleagues saved recently?

In 2017, so far we have saved 14 orangutans. Some of them have been released already as they are mature and well enough. The others are in the soft release programme. They are taken out into the forest each day to practice feeding and climbing until they have mastered the basic skills and are ready to be released.

Are you optimistic about the future for orangutans?

I am optimistic that orangutans can still be saved as long as we focus on saving their forests that are an integral part of their lives.

What must happen to ensure their survival?

We have to encourage the creation of sustainable oil-palm plantations and stop forest conversion in orangutan habitat and prevent the occurrence of forest fires. We also have to ensure that law enforcement act so that no more orangutans are traded as pets.

What can our supporters do to help?

As well as donating to this project, if you are buying a product that is made using palm oil, look out for ‘sustainable palm oil’ on the label. Currently, the global area already being used for oil palm production is sufficient to meet our needs without any further loss of forest. It is possible for us to use oil-palm produced from sustainable palm oil plantations and it is something we can all to do.

Please help us to help orangutans today so that they are still here tomorrow.

The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve

We are delighted to be able to convey the news that two of our soft-release orangutans, Jessica and Ketty, have now been released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Staff are confident both will go on to living fulfilling lives in the wild, free from the threat of habitat loss.

In light of this positive news and #RainforestLive, we are introducing a new initiative in support of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Become a guardian and actively protect:

• 158,144 acres of tropical peat forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo
• 500 critically endangered orangutans - a number which continues to increase as more are rescued and released
• thousands of threatened species including gibbons, sun bears and clouded leopards
• 5 million tonnes of stored carbon.

A regular gift of £16.50 a month or a one-off donation of £200 for the year (the equivalent of 55p a day) will contribute towards the management of the Reserve.

Visit our webpage for more information on how to become a guardian.

Rainforest: Live 2017

This year we again take part in Rainforest: Live, a global social media event set up by Borneo Nature Foundation, with more than 50 organisations taking part.

Organisations will share a glimpse of rainforest life on social media to inspire people to take action and help protect these critical habitats.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: Rare and wonderful wildlife sightings direct from rainforests all around the world! Here's a clip we posted last year to give you a taste of what is to come:

You can learn more about the event here.

Rainforests once covered as much as 12% of the earth's landmass. They now only cover 5%, largely a result of human activity. Help us to protect the world's remaining rainforests, estimated to be home to as much as half of all species of flora and fauna found on earth, including the magnificent orangutan.

Join us tomorrow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest and please show your support for rainforest conservation by getting involved – follow the hashtag #RainforestLive and share, like, retweet and comment!

Running for Orangutans - A Fundraiser's Story

"Have you ever considered doing something for charity? Wanted to do something worthwhile without knowing quite what? Well I've had this nagging away at me for sometime now, but what to do and for which charity? Well, one such thought I've had for a while is to visit Borneo, at least once in my life and do some work with Orangutans. Ideally I'd like to visit regularly and do as much as I can, by way of contributing to a better life for this species. Apes (like many other endangered species), our closest relatives deserve so much better than we afford them. Ideally they should be left alone to enjoy their environment, but the world will no longer permit that. We continue to mistreat them and abuse their habitat for our own, short sighted greed! Perhaps my want to visit and help is nothing more than a pipe dream. And surely hellishly expensive too! Oh well. Maybe not.

Anyway, last year I made some big changes to my life; quit smoking after 30 years, got a new job, started eating healthily and decided to get fit . I also met a new special someone. We chatted about anything and everything, as you do. Dreams and ambitions got discussed and Borneo and the Orangutans were mentioned. Anyway, a few days later we meet up and she presents me with a gift. I unwrap it and am enchanted to have been given a t-shirt from the Orangutan Foundation. Enough already, I hear you saying. I check out their website a day or two later and it seems they have premises in London!!! Just around the bloody corner from where I used to work. Who felt silly now?

To cut a long story short I read the website front to back and top to bottom (can you do this with a website? If you can, then I did). I read with interest about the great work and learned about the volunteer programme. Wow! Borneo suddenly seemed very achievable. It would have to wait until next year, possibly the following, but it no longer seemed like a pipe dream after all. Could I do anything in the interim...?

A further conversation raised the topic of running a half marathon. Well I could do that I suppose. I COULD DO THAT!!! Why not? Run a half marathon (a full one still seems too far) and raise some money for the Orangutan Foundation. Yes, I want to be out there and do some work directly. But why on earth should I not do anything from this end in the meantime? So a few days after I stuff myself silly at Christmas I email Sophie at the OF London office and tell her I'm entering the Silverstone Half Marathon in March and would like to raise funds for them. March. That's aeons away. Of course I'll be ready. I can go from no exercise to 13.1 miles in 12 weeks. Oh dear....

Off to the shops and I get my running kit. Wow! I could have just sent a cheque for the value of that little lot. Much easier. And training begins. Week by week everything goes well. By week 7 I'm up to 10k. I can do this!  Then week 8 - disaster! I've been too cocky and overdone it. Shin splints. Nooooo!!! I am unable to run for 3 weeks. I can barely walk. Fast forward and a week to go before the event and I am able do a couple of 4k runs to keep everything moving.

And I arrive at the day. Silverstone. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? A dear friend, Allan calls and tells me I'm an inspiration and he's proud of me. Now sir, that's perfect timing and I'll be eternally grateful for that phone call. There are many in heavyweight fancy dress - are they serious? You better believe they are. Boys and girls in their 70s and 80s are lining up beside me. There's a guy in a dinosaur outfit, barefoot! Well. It's now or never.

So off we go. Mile after mile.... after mile.... after mile. This is going to take forever. I look up. I can see one of the mile markers. How far have I got, 4, 5, 6 miles already? TWO! You're having a laugh mate! TAXI!!! And you guessed it, the guy in the dinosaur outfit had gone passed me (after about 300 yards by memory), I'd also just got overtaken by a guy in his ostrich/jockey garb - a la Bernie Clifton.

Well I got there in the end and managed a decent time. I had great support all the way. Around the track from my mate Dani and my lovely lady too. From other friends who called and text and spurred me on and also from fellow runners and those who came out on the day to cheer on their own loved ones. And there were so many others who supported with their donations. I am so grateful to everyone and can't wait (but I shall) to do the next one.

So first part of project Borneo ticked off my list. How many more stages to this journey there'll be I really don't know, but there will be more and I know I have only just started. The important thing is I have started. One day in the not too distant future I'll be working away in Borneo and I'll think of my day at Silverstone and the t-shirt that Alison gave me as a gift and I shall smile and probably have a little laugh to myself. Doing your bit is as much easier than you think!"

Fundraiser Arif Huseyin ran the Silverstone Half-Marathon, March 12^th 2017. He not only made fantastic time but also managed to raise a terrific amount – over £1,000.

These funds will be spent on a new klotok (boat) to enable Orangutan Foundation field staff stationed at two of our guard posts to carry out their daily activities. The two guard posts are based in the south of Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesian Borneo - Sungai Buluh Besar and Sungai Buluh Kecil. These guard posts act as bases from which the local area can be monitored and protected from any illegal activities.

Have you been inspired to take part in a fundraising activity for the Orangutan Foundation? Click here to find out all the different ways you could get involved and support orangutan conservation.