A Very Sick Orangutan

Two weeks ago we were all very shocked when Zidane (pronounced Gee – dan) was brought back from Camp Buluh in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve to the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine. Not only did he have rampant diarrhoea, was emaciated, running a fever but, more worryingly, he had 16 air rifle pellets under his skin. We have never seen this before and therefore we knew we had to act immediately and sort out what had happened in Lamandau.

A very sick Zidane at the OCCQ

A Forestry Police patrol went out for three days to interview all the rubber-tappers working along the river. Yesterday, the Lamandau Camps Manager, Tigor organised a community meeting to which he brought along district Government representatives, the police and a doctor from the Health Department. We want everyone who lives or works inside the Reserve to take worming medicines to prevent more infections. However, as this is the holy month of Ramadan, when people are fasting, yesterday’s meeting was a socialisation exercise. Once Ramadan is over we will have another meeting when the doctor will distribute the medicine.

14 days on and Zidane’s condition is stable. For the first few days we did not think he would pull through. He was given two blood transfusions, from another orangutan at the Care Centre, was on a constant drip to keep his fluids up, and as far as his body would take it, was given worming and anti-dysentery medication. But every day that he manages to hold on gives us slightly more hope.

Having the individual feeding tyres for the orangutans will help us distribute their medicines more easily and will stop orangutans congregating on a feeding platform, therefore reducing the chance of infection – thank you very much to everyone who has donated so far. Please do consider donating so that we can implement this new feeding system throughout Lamandau.

New Tyre Feeding System.

Camp Buluh

We will also build another Guard Post on the western side of the Reserve, which will prevent access to the headwaters of the Buluh River.

Although I can’t promise Zidane will pull through, I will give our word that we will do everything possible to find out what happened and to prevent another orangutan suffering in the same way.

Thank you,

Stephen

More orangutans returned to the wild.

Wow Kusasi certainly proved popular! Thank you for all the positive comments and nice to hear from you again Brigitta. If people want to see the film "Kusasi from Orphan to King" I understand it can be bought on-line from PBS.

The other week I wrote that July was Pondok Ambung, our Tropical Forest Research Station’s, "month". Certainly, the research activities there dominated my time, but that does not mean everything else stopped. In fact, four more orangutans were released from the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

I now have a bit of time to tell you about them. Biruté Galdikas supervised the releases with Tigor, the Manager of the five release camps. On 28 July, the adult female Sasha was released along with her adopted daughter Monica. Though Monica was no longer an infant, it is always good to see these adoptions work; no matter how competent the staff at the Care Centre are, obviously a female orangutan is the best possible mother for youngster.

The second release on 4 August was a bit more traumatic. The orangutans, Ucok and Lori, were OK, but the people had some problems! The orangutans were moved out of the Care Centre in the morning, to avoid them travelling in the heat of the day and were carried in a kelotok (a traditional boat a bit like a motorized canoe). Biruté, Tigor and other staff travelled up later in speedboats. Or at least that was the plan; low water levels meant the speedboats could not get up. They lost two propellers and cracked the hull of one of the boats after colliding with submerged logs. Eventually, the kelotok had to come back for them.

The pictures below show the release from the Care Centre to Camp Rasak and then freedom, once again, in the wild.

 

Monica

Monica and Sasha leaving the OCCQ

 

These photos show the orangutans being moved from the Care Centre, into the kelotok, then having a few minutes peace on the feeding platform before some other interested orangutans came for a nose.

All the photo's were taken by Uduk, Tigor's deputy, on a camera recently donated to the Orangutan Foundation at our Members and Supporter's Evening in London, in July.

Kusasi a great great ape

I was pleased to read that some of you have seen the PBS documentary “Kusasi from Orphan to King” which was shown on PBS television in the States, on the BBC in the UK and ABC in Australia (I think it may also have been on Animal Planet). I think it is a great film giving you a real insight into Kusasi’s world.   

Kusasi -the old king of Camp Leakey 

However, the second reason I like it is much more personnel; Kusasi has been a large figure throughout my time here.  When I first visited Camp Leakey as a tourist, in 1996, Kusasi was the contender in waiting.  By the time I came back in 2001 he was the undisputed king.  He dominated Camp throughout 2003 but even by then Win was challenging him.  In 2004 twice we had to operate on him up at Camp. 

 

 

Kusasi during an operation at Camp Leakey, Tanjung Puting National Park 

I remember eight of us struggling to lift him; his head alone felt as heavy as a sack of cement.  2005 was little better for him; he broke his arm and had to be moved to the Care Centre where he spent the next year.   By the time he was moved back to Camp in 2006, he was very much “in retirement”. 

 

Kusasi, after his time in the OCCQ, in 2006 

Tom had taken over as king and is still the dominant male, he rarely comes into Camp though.  Kusasi, for his part, is either in Camp or deep into the forest.  He does not go anywhere where Tom might be.  And that is probably very wise. 

 

Kusasi -relaxing (photo by Hugh Sturrock)

I have seen Kusasi relaxing, even looking bored.  I have seen him grab a person, which was frightening and I have seen him fighting other males, which was even more frightening.  He gave Ashley and I the shock of our lives when he entered a small building where we sat.  But I have also seen him grow old.

 

Kusasi - still a magnificent orangutan 

These days he appears thin rather than massive as he did a few years ago and he has lost two of his canine teeth.  It is probably in his best interests if his fighting days are over. That said, even if he is past his prime, in his prime he was unbeatable.  And even now he remains magnificent. 

What do we do with banana trees?

Where did last week go? I spent most of it in Tanjung Puting National Park, having lots of fun and adventures, and only got back to the office on Friday. We are still experiencing lots of power cuts. On Saturday, we had a five hour one, 8 am to 1 pm, which put paid to much serious work. So here I am, Sunday night, attempting to tell you how I spent my week, obviously, without much internet!I went first to Buluh Besar Guard Post in the middle of the Park, and from there, to Pondok Ambung and Camp Leakey, where I met up with Brigitta. However, this all deserves its own post (to come soon), so I will just cut to today. My back garden has been as over-productive as usual and the latest banana tree, to try to outgrow the electrical wire to my water-pump, needed felling. What do we do with banana trees? Give them to Montana.

Montana with his banana tree.

I went to the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine with a group of visiting researchers and found the big guy looking unusually bored. He was laid flat out with his massive head resting on his two fists. He didn’t even turn his head as we approached. Once the banana tree was near enough to be on offer, however, he sprang into action in a way that reminded me – yet again – never get too close: He’s quick! The stalk was inside in seconds, and then the leaves. And Montana was one happy orangutan.

Less pleased were the adolescents occupying the next-door enclosure, who wouldn’t normally dare so much as whimper at the adjacent cheek-padded Montana. Today, though, they were happy to demand attention from the visitors. We gave them extra leaves and they were delighted. I even managed to get a smile from one of them (unlike young chimpanzees that will literally giggle if tickled, orangutans seldom express pleasure), getting a full toothy grin was reward in itself.

Me with the adolescents.

Thanks for your comments, Sheryl and Annie, about the paper (which we contributed to) mentioned in my last post, “Distribution and conservation status of the orangutan (Pongo spp.) on Borneo and Sumatra: How many remain?”. I agree, it is important to think positively and I don’t believe orangutans will become extinct. I think the programmes that we, and our partners, are working on in Central Kalimantan, will ensure this never occurs.

Thank you!

Stephen is currently in Jakarta so a quick post on his behalf. We have just received our donation's report for the second half of May and we are extremely grateful to following people who have donated towards the Orangutan Care Centre's enclosure repairs; Paula B $200, Maciej G $100, Sheryl B $25 and Hilary B $300. In total we have raised $2,375 which means we are only $625 off our $3,000 target. Thank you to everyone who has supported us with this appeal.

For those of you in the UK you might be interested to know the Foundation are holding a Supporters' and Members' Evening on Wednesday 2nd July, at Asia House in London. Stephen, who will be back in the UK, and Ashley Leiman, Director and Founder of the Orangutan Foundation, will be giving a presentation about the Foundation's projects, achievements and challenges. Please visit our website for more details.

Many thanks,

Cathy, Orangutan Foundation.

Enclosure repaired but more work needed

Once again, thank you very much to everyone who donated to our request for funds to repair the orangutan enclosures at the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine. I was there today and can happily report the first round of repairs has been completed and the escapees are now back in their secure enclosure.

The repaired cage is the one in the middle.

And these are the occupants.

This photo was taken one second before he made a grab for the camera!

Unfortunately, there is still more to be done. Montana’s cage is getting thin and the youngsters on the other tower keep trying to pop out. May I ask again for your support? We guarantee all money raised will be spent on fixing the enclosures.

The youngster's enclosure - rusting bars.

It is strange to have an orangutan hanging upside down looking directly at you!

Montana’s cage (above and below)

How long will these bars hold?

And a final photo included for no other reason than I thought this orangutan simply had the sweetest face. Your thoughts?

Thank you!

Wow - We have just received our donations report from 1st -12th May and we are delighted with the response to our Orangutan Enclosure Appeal to raise $3000. Thank you very much to the following people; Nancy M $50, Brigitta S $50, Cathy R $250, Anonymous $100, Derek F $200.00, Anonymous $1000, James G $100, for your most generous donations. We're almost two thirds of the way there!

The Gibbon’s Gone

I felt really good about what we achieved today. Early, last week, an agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis) was delivered to the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ).

The gibbon

The story went he did not “belong” to the man who brought him to the Centre. Rather the man had caught the gibbon after it had escaped from a neighbour’s house. Maybe, maybe not. However, at least the man was giving the gibbon up so we could not be too angry. But, with over three hundred orangutans in captivity, plus a sun bear, we really don’t need another mouth to feed.

As gibbons should be!

Especially not a gibbon. They are fascinating creatures but require specialist management. Gibbons mate for life and fiercely defend their territories. They swing through trees with amazing ease but that does mean their enclosures should ideally be very high and long so they have room to move. None of this suits the set up at the OCCQ.

So we called up Kalaweit, a gibbon rehabilitation project near the provincial capital, Palangka Raya (www.kalaweitfm.com/kalaweituk.htm) . They would happily take our new arrival. The Head of the local Forestry Department’s Agency for the Conservation of Natural Resources, under whose jurisdiction we operate, offered the loan of his vehicle and prepared the necessary paper work. This morning, the gibbon set off to begin what will hopefully be the final stage in his journey from captivity to the forest.

Hopefully the final stage in this gibbon's journey back to wild.

It will cost us $150 in fuel, a night’s hotel accommodation for the drivers, and a donation towards the gibbon’s necessary medical checks. In return we have supported the Forestry Department in achieving their mission, maintained positive cooperation with another wildlife NGO and, most importantly, done the right thing.

Gibbons don’t belong in cages. We can not set him free but Kalaweit can.

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Morning at the Orangutan Care Centre

As promised, I went to the Care Centre this morning to check on progress with the cage repairs. As requested, I also gave Montana “a nod”, as well as a bunch of flowers which he devoured. To be honest, I think he was more interested in watching the workman than in eating. His neighbours, however, were watching the flowers greedily.

Montana

Montana's neighbours

Thank you so much for everyone who donated to the repairs. The welding has been completed. The metal work is now being painted with rust proof paint which will then be covered with the standard green paint used at the Care Centre.

Sleeping shelves and tyres will then be fitted. After which, all that remains to happen is to fill it with orangutans. And that should not be difficult. The escapees are crowded into one cage just down the line from Montana. We are hoping that once their enclosure is fixed, we’ll be able to repair the one they are now in.

The Escapees

It was good being at the Care Centre in the morning, as I could see the orangutans being taken out for their day’s exercise in the forest. As always, it was amazing to watch Mr. Laju, one of our blind assistants, leading the orangutans out. Mr Laju went blind later in life but he can still follow the forest paths and board walks into the surrounding forest, and when I say board walk I mean a single plank pathway!

Mr Laju

The other incredible thing is the orangutans never mess him around. If you and I tried to take them out, I guarantee they would be scrambling up the surrounding bushes, dashing off here and there. Mr Laju does ties a piece of string around their arms but that can’t be the secret. Any self respecting orangutan could pull away from that, if they wanted to. Clearly, they don’t.

Also at the Care Centre at the moment is a female sun bear. I did take a couple of photos but, even by my low standards, they were only fit for the recycle bin! Of course, I have excuses: the bear’s enclosure is very dark; it would not stop moving around; there are too many branches in the enclosure - that's my excuse.

Sunbear

There is also a gibbon newly arrived at the Centre which we’ll arrange to have sent to Kalaweit, a specialist gibbon rehabilitation centre, in the next few days. We have our hands full with orangutans, without adding gibbons into the mix.

Again, many thanks.

Palm Oil - what’s the cost?

Nancy, Cathy and Theresa, thank you very much for your donations. So far on Wildlife Direct when we have asked for your support we have always received a positive response. This is really, really appreciated. The rebuild of the “escapees'” enclosure is progressing well with one whole side already chopped away (of course, I forgot to take my camera some photos soon I promise). Brigitta delighted to know everything is all set for your trip. I will actually be in Tanjung Puting on the 9th so it is probably best if we make a date for the 10th. If you tell your boat driver to stop at Pondok Ambung I’ll meet you there. If for any reason, I have had to go on ahead to Camp Leakey just ask around and someone will point me out. I quite like the idea of videoed questions and videoed answers. I hope it works!

Now onto more serious matters, I am surprised my last post, ‘Small feel of freedom’, was considered light-hearted. I admit the story of a bunch of adolescent orangutans running amok makes me smile, but the story of yet another orphan breaks my heart. And it breaks my heart that he came from a village we know, but outside of our project area. Why can’t we work everywhere?

Late last night, Bhayu (Foundation’s Project Co-ordinator) and Teguh (The Guard Post Supervisor) got back from a trip to the Buluh Kecil and Buluh Besar Rivers in Tanjung Puting National Park, where they had accompanied a German scientist interested in studying TPNP’s peat forests. In one stretch of river, heading upstream from the Buluh Kecil post, they saw a phenomenal 26 wild orangutans.

You can just make out an orangutan in the middle of the trees.

Admittedly, ketiau trees were in fruit, which had drawn the wildlife in, but still that number of orangutans in a journey of, at most, 10km is extraordinary. Two cheek padded males were happily eating less than 200m apart. Clearly, not a lot of competition there. Next, on the Buluh Besar River, our guys encountered a huge colony of fruit bats or flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus). Flying foxes have a wingspan of up to 1.5m (4’) and have been described as “resembling a small eagle in flight.” According to Bhayu, this colony (or camp as they are technically called) numbered well into the 1,000’s yet elsewhere in Central Kalimantan they are, or already have been, hunted to virtual extinction.

Today, I was told a story by an old friend and colleague, Fajar who does most of his work on the east side of Tanjung Puting. We are helping his team build a guard post there or, more accurately, relocate a guard post because the current site is about to be converted to a palm oil plantation. Fajar and his team were looking for a site for the new post. They went up the Baung River on day one and came back three days later. On the way up, they passed a stand of trees with long-tailed macaques and birds in it. When they came back, all the trees were gone.

Deforestation happens that quickly. And it is very, very real.

Fajar taking GPS reading of an oil palm plantation's boundary.

The photo shows Fajar taking a GPS reading in front of one of the plantation’s approved markers. It is a line of trees, like the one in the background, which has now been flattened. If you look at the map (sorry it is in Indonesian) you can see Pos Baung, the post we want to move and why. Amazingly, the company (P.T.) KUCC has already exceeded its designated area, planting out in P.T. Giat’s concession.

That is a border conflict that we find amusing, but cynical me thinks it will turn out that P.T. KUCC and PT Giat will have the same holding company which means it will make no difference to anyone at the end of the day. It certainly won’t change the fact that the forest, and its wildlife, will be gone.

On the news I heard an announcement that Unilever has promised to only use “sustainable palm-oil” by the year’s end, despite their being no suitable palm oil yet on the market. Greenpeace replied “good, but what is needed immediately is a moratorium of forest clearance”. I am pleased with Unilever’s announcement – they do have the clout to drive change (and it's consumers who have brought this about), but I agree with Greenpeace. This forest clearance has to stop.

Read about Unilever's announcement in the Jakarta Post

Small feel of freedom

I had a great weekend but the home-coming was a little rough. As we have said, the orangutans at the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ) are let out to play and learn in the forest. That is good. When the orangutans let themselves out, that's a problem! On Monday eight of the little, "less-than-adorable" orange bundles of mischief took it upon themselves to demonstrate just how rusty their enclosure had become. They popped out its side. Three were obviously a bit shocked at their new found freedom and contented themselves climbing up the outside. One went straight for the food room while the others dispersed themselves around the adjacent cages and our guess is they wanted to find the girls.

All of which would be an amusing anecdote if weren’t for the fact that their enclosure really is beyond repair. For a long time we have actually being patching up earlier repairs but that is getting ridiculous. It is time for a rebuild. And, as the staff are quick to point out, there is another cage in almost the same state.

Photo of the enclosure (middle one) that has now broken.

I am writing in the hope you will consider donating towards the cost of the repairs. A rebuild will cost 13,000,000 Rupiah (approximately $1,410/£714 each). The Foundation has found the money for the first - just so we can minimise the over-crowding that would be caused by moving the eight escapees to other already occupied spaces. At this stage, we have no budget allocation for the extra repairs. We are hoping to raise $3000. This will cover the cage repairs and money remaining from your donations will go towards building temporary holding cages in Lamandau, our orangutan release site. Your support, helping us to reach this target, will be most appreciated.

To put the “happy” story of the breakout into context, that same afternoon we received a tiny infant orangutan, probably around 9 months old. It is rumoured that his mother had been shot and eaten (a practice still carried out by some remote Dayak tribes), he was being kept tied up in a house. The village he came from is at the very southern edge of the Belantikan region but is in the same logging concession in which the Foundation/Yayorin's, Belantikan Conservation Programme (BCP), work. The orphan was found by a couple of logging operation supervisors who took him from the house and gave him to Iman, head of the BCP team. Iman immediately set off on the seven hour drive back to the OCCQ.

I am sorry I did not have my camera with me on Monday - this is an orphan we received sometime ago called Abraham. Helpless doesn't quite capture it, does it?

That orphan will almost certainly have to remain in captivity for four years. And he is only one of the thirty or more orphans we are likely to receive this year. I think there is no better testament to the work of Mr Sehat, Dr Popo and all the other staff at the OCCQ that they can nurture tiny, helpless, traumatized orphans into the boisterous youngsters who then break out. The number of orphans we take in and the length of time rehabilitation takes also explain the wear and tear on the cages.

A final word, to end on a positive note, what made my weekend so good: I went to Camp Leakey, the old orangutan release site. Seeing the orangutans which have been successfully rehabilitated, climbing free in the trees (see photos below) reminds you that there can be a happy outcome to such tragic beginnings.

Apologies for my awful photography.

A Conservationist’s Dilemma -What to do with Montana?

Before I begin, let me apologise if in my last blog, the photo made it seem Mr (Pak) Sehat was with Montana. The orangutan Pak Sehat was pictured with was Hongky when they had just arrived at Camp Rasak immediately before walking to the feeding site, where final release took place. If a bond between Hongky and Pak Sehat is apparent, well the camera does not lie. Hongky is a boisterous teenager. The mere holding of his hand by Pak Sehat was enough to calm him until he was released and he was free to climb. Montana is different. When I first arrived in Indonesia, Montana was a little bigger than the size of Hongky in the photo. In those days he joined in the "days out" system of the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ). It is really only in the last year or so he has not been able to, and not just because of his size. It is also his character. I thank you very much for your offer "Cathy-California” and Sheryl, but in Montana's case it isn't that "the problem is a shortage of money? Would a specific donation intended let's say to hire 1-2 people...." The problem is what happens when Montana is out of his cage. He wants to roam, to explore, to find his own space. We simply can not provide him with what he needs at the OCCQ and in all honesty no number of extra assistants would change that. If Pak Sehat is not confident letting him out, none of us should be.

Unfortunately, neither can we accommodate Montana in Lamandau. The rehabilitation system as it is set up takes orangutans nearing independence-age and releases them into the wild, though with supplementary feeding. Once in the wild, the orangutans have to take their chances in finding food, dispersing and interacting with other/wild orangutans. Of course, veterinary care and assistants are there to help when things don't go according to plan, but essentially the process is 'hands off'.

Montana doesn't fit into that system. There is too great a risk he will fight with other orangutans, and would likely loose because of his disabilities. He may also be a danger to the staff, or the local people who work in and around the Reserve. We want to be hands off with the orangutans but we also want them to be hands-off with us!

So the alternatives are: building him a permanent enclosure at the OCCQ (as you suggest) or finding a more appropriate release site. While the first seems like the best solution it is by far and away the most expensive. Is that justifiable when there are 300+ other orangutans needing care and new releases sites, and not to mention the arguably more important demands of habitat protection for the wild populations? The OCCQ was not designed to be a sanctuary and it is important for us to stay true to that mission. In the complicated politics of Indonesia if we were to start providing life-time care, in the eyes of the Government, it could potentially weaken our argument for more protected areas and release sites; “why, the orangutans are fine where they are.”

The other alternative is finding a more suitable release site – deep in the heart of the forest. The middle of Tanjung Puting National Park would be ideal but currently orangutans are not allowed to be released there. However, we are confident, one day we will find the right spot. In the meantime, we do what we can for him; whether it is giving him banana trees, or the novel feeding toy Jodie and Peter built for him, ropes, swings, car tyres and hammocks.

Hand on my heart, I do not think Montana “suffers’ at the OCCQ. He is alert and active. However, any cage - at some level - compromises a being’s welfare and we recognize that while we do all we can given the dilemmas of limited resources, priorities and the need to balance conservation against welfare, it is not enough. The tragedy, the “wrong” of Montana’s situation is that an orangutan that big has to be in captivity at all. That’s what we are working to change.

I am sorry this blog has become so long and detailed – it was not meant to be, but perhaps the balancing act we have to perform in caring for the individual and protecting the species is not easily explained. There also is one other point that needs to be made.

In starting out on Wildlife Direct we pledged honesty. We sincerely thank you for your offer of support and none of us are about to turn down donations. Similarly, we have all agonised over what to do with Montana. However, investing heavily and solely in him would not be right. I would ask anyone wanting to help Montana to make their donation towards the OCCQ.

I hope you understand.

Many thanks

Stephen

A quick reply to comments…

Thank you for all your comments on Montana. Clearly, his story has touched you as much as it does us. Montana spends 90% of his time in his cage, which is partly what makes it so tragic. The only time he gets out is when we need to give his cage a 'deep clean', put in more ropes and tyres or, as frequently, repair it! The problem is, he is so big and strong he simply cannot be taken out with the other orangutans. Even Pak Sehat (see photo below) who is magical with orangutans cannot control him.

Mr Sehat with an ex-captive orangutan (not Montana)

The other issue is that the OCCQ was never designed to provide a permanent home. It is only a 'half-way house' for the orangutans on their way back to the forest. Therefore, finding a long-term solution for Montana requires careful thought as the existing facilities are not designed to be used permanently, especially by orangutans of his age and size.

Photo below of Ashley Leiman (Founder & Director of Orangutan Foundation) and I hard at work!

Many thanks,

Stephen

Montana

The objective of the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ) is to rehabilitate orangutans so they can be released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Tragically, some orangutans, like Montana below, arrive at the OCCQ with such bad injuries that this will never be an option for them. For these individuals we must try and provide as best conditions as possible and at this point our work changes from conservation to welfare.

Montana (photo by Peter Ellen)

Montana is the oldest and biggest orangutan at the OCCQ. Well on his way to adulthood, he was confiscated in 1994 when he was approximately 5 years old. He had been shot in the head and, as a result, is blind in his left eye. He has a paralysed left leg and only partial use of his right arm. He can be aggressive with people and has long-since reached an age when he is intolerant of other orangutans, so has to stay by himself. Unfortunately, Montana can never be released into a normal forest situation as his injuries have left him weakened and unable to compete with other orangutans, and there is a risk he would become a “nuisance” raiding villagers’ crops. I could write more about him but suffice it to say, like Violet, he is one of the ‘special ones’, one of the orangutans who has been especially cruelly treated by fate and humankind.

At the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ) we are lucky in that the surrounding nursery forest provides completely natural enrichment for the majority of our orangutans. The forests have everything they’ll need for learning the skills and developing the muscles required to survive in the wild. Unfortunately, as I have said before, not every orangutan goes out every day. For most of the older orangutans it is every second day. However, for some, it is much less frequent. Some refuse to come back at the end of the day, or they roam too far – there are power lines on the road alongside the nursery forest. Some do not want to mix with the other orangutans (orangutans are semi-solitary in the wild). For these orangutans that don’t get out to the forest, enrichment is necessary for their welfare.

I spent the other Sunday cleaning up my garden and I felled an old, straggly, banana tree. There was only one place for it to go. Ashley, the director of the Orangutan Foundation, helped me take it to the OCCQ, especially for Montana.

Montana with banana stalk

Struggling, we rammed the banana stalk as far as it would go into Montana’s enclosure. He reached out a massive hand, wrapped his sausage-sized fingers around the end of the stalk and, seemingly effortlessly, pulled it in. Then he set to work, peeling off the outer skin and slurping up the juicy central pith. And he did it for hours.

Some of the younger orangutans in the cage next to Montana's pleased with their share of the banana tree.

This is meant as a simple story - what we did cost nothing, but it meant a great deal. Montana worked that stalked to its very end and he nested in the leaves for two nights.

By the way you’ll be relieved to hear, that as I type, it is raining outside – long may it continue!

Thank you

Last night I closed my blog by saying thank you for all your support. This morning there was an email from the UK office detailing exactly how much we had received in response to our appeal for ‘fire beaters’ (Muriel T $10, Tatsuya H $10, Christopher W $500, Sheryl B $10, Brigitta S $50, Francis D $20, Lucia C $100 and Theresa S (four donations totalling $250)).I am afraid I understated my thanks:

Thank you all, very, very much!

Firstly, here’s the proof we are directing your money as stated.

The fire beaters kindly modelled by Abdi (left) and Devis (right).

We have 47 beaters almost ready - we just need to bolt the rubber to the poles, and there are lots more on order. Our aim is to have one beater per staff member along with buckets, jerry cans and hand sprayers. We also want to ensure we have enough beaters available, so they can be handed out to volunteers from close by villages, if there is a fire. Devis actually said “Now I’ll feel guilty if it rains!”. However, the tragic reality is, if not this month or even this year, we will need this fire fighting gear at some point on in the future and now we will be prepared.

The second thank you is due to Theresa who donated money for Malaria medicines. I spoke to the vets who said their greatest need was actually for oral antibiotics which they prefer to use instead of invasive injections. Also, if it is a sick free-ranging, rehabilitated orangutan that needs treatment, they can leave tablets with the field staff for mixing/hiding in food. The vets asked for “Marbocyl” which the UK office kindly procured. Ashley Leiman, Founder & Director of the Orangutan Foundation brought out the Marbocyl, with a lot of other supplies for the OCCQ, and gave them to Dr. Popo and Mrs Waliyati (Senior Administrator) on Saturday.

Dr Popo (in blue) and Mrs Waliyati (in red) with the OCCQ supplies.

OCCQ carers taking the orangutans out to the forest

Rerin, a carer at the OCCQ, with one of the many orphaned infants.

Theresa, I hope our buying an antibiotic not an anti-malarial is OK with you. After all, it is what we were told the little ones needed!

Once again thank you all very much for your support!

Violet - A chance to be free again.

We found Violet in a chicken coop. She was chained around her neck, covered in dirt, and scars, and she smelt. Her skin was dry and she had discharge from her eyes and a bloated abdomen. She had been fed the same food as the family who kept her: rice, tofu, vegetable and sweet tea. The owners claimed that they had “found the orangutan in their field six months ago.” At first they did not want to give her up because “they loved the orangutan”.

Violet with chain in chicken cage

Violet with the chickens

Violet being rescued by the mobile education team

Ironically, it was the mobile Education Team who found her. They had gone to the village of Bukit Raya, Central Kalimantan to raise awareness about orangutan conservation amongst the people. The cage they found Violet in was, at most, 1 x 0.5 meters and her mother had almost certainly been killed. The Education Team told the family the law and Violet was duly passed over. That same afternoon, she was brought to our Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine Facility (OCCQ).

Violet stayed three week in Quarantine at OCCQ. Veterinary tests showed she was suffering from anemia caused by parasitic infestation: amoebic dysentery, to you and me. She was given the medication that she needed and plenty of food.

Photos, taken last year, of Violet at the OCCQ

Three and a half years on, and she is almost unrecognizable. These days, Violet lives in “Pondok Medang” along with 32 other orangutans. Every second day she is taken to the forest where she is allowed to climb and play in the trees. She can not go to the forest everyday because we try to separate male and female orangutans – we are happy if they have babies in the forest, but we do not want more babies at the Care Centre.

Violet clearly wants to live in the forest full time. On the days she goes into the forest, she climbs high into the trees and is reluctant to come down – even in the rain. This doesn’t make her too popular with her carers but they are pleased with her forest skills.

Violet up in the OCCQ forest

Rather worryingly, Violet has become bored with bananas. As you can imagine, they are a bit if a staple at the Care Centre. However, it is now mango season and Violet still loves mangos. When I last saw her, she was sat on a basket of fruit, which was meant for the other orangutans, greedily stuffing mango after mango into her mouth!

Two weeks ago, I wrote that I was going to the Care Centre and promised you a story. Violet’s is that story. There are over 300 orphaned orangutans at the Care Centre; it is impossible to follow all their progress. Some, however, touch you and Violet’s story is so tragic, but heart-warming, she is the orangutan for our Foster Programme.

I had gone to the Care Centre, for a meeting, to discuss the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, our Government designated release site. So far, 153 orangutans have been returned to a life in the wild in Lamandau’s forests. This year, we’re pushing for it to be Violet’s turn.

Violet now - soon she'll be given the chance to live in the wild once again.

I know I should have sent this blog to you as soon as I wrote it. As so often, we found ourselves juggling priorities and I never reached the “send stage”. Tonight – blissfully with electricity – I am also happy to say we had a steady drizzle for two hours, on the back of some heavy but localized showers last week. The rain is not enough to fill the swamps and rivers; two days ago I went passed our food store where we have a high and low jetty – the low jetty is still four feet above water level. However, the rain is enough to drop the fire risk, which is a relief. The beaters are almost ready; today we collected the rubber flanges. If the rain does not continue, with your help, we will at least be better prepared.

Again, I apologize for the lack of news but I am truly grateful for the support you give us. Keep your rain dancing shoes on!

Snakes and a big thank you!

Dear Theresa and, of course, other readers Thank you very much for your very generous donation. It is much appreciated. You will be pleased to hear Mumsie was returned to Camp Gemini yesterday. She was ready to leave the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine on Monday, but because of the fuel shortage we decided not to make a special journey to take her back but rather to wait until the weekly supply run. Normally we push to get orangutans out of the OCCQ as quickly as possible so this was an exception. However I am sure, in the big scheme of things, a few extra days at the OCCQ won't have done her any harm.

Interesting question about snakes. It is something many people ask about. As would be expected there are lots here but they are very rarely seen. In the forest are reticulated pythons that can grow to enormous lengths (well I consider 5m/16' enormous!

Same photo of the python but the lower photo has markers to show the snake (photo by Steven Frankham).

There are poisonous snakes: cobras, kraits, vipers and keelbacks. Then there are the non-poisonous snakes ranging from the thin racers, through bronzebacks, whip snakes (all fairly common) to water snakes.

The interesting thing is I have seen more snakes in town than I have in the forest; I came home once to find a (harmless) racer on my doorstep. They are drawn to town by frogs, toads, rats and mice. Racers are one thing, cobras another - and I have only seen them in two places: palm oil plantations and in town. They like these "unnatural" places because of the unnatural abundance of prey to be found there.

Cobra (photo by Peter Ellen)

Cobras are pretty specialised nocturnal hunters and, in town, move around the storm drains. I can not pretend they are commonly seen (once or twice a year maybe?) but we have had two staff members bitten by them in the time I have been here - both when they were walking at night. One was very serious - she required eight days in hospital. The other was less serious and it is believed the snake was surprised and struck before it had filled its venom sacks. Nevertheless he felt queasy and vomited for two days. Unfortunately, we can't carry antivenin because it needs to be chilled. It is however available at the local hospital.

Again, thanks and best wishes,

Stephen

A few photos..

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of Boni, one of the four orangutans that we released into lamandau at the end of last year.

Boni - up in tree at OCCQ forest (photo by Jodie Sheridan)

On their way to freedom!! Boni is on the right. (Photo by Jodie Sheridan)

This photo should really have gone with my last post - Working in Borneo. My fellow office workers. From left to right there is Jak, Ully, Devis and Astri.

Working in Borneo

Wildlife Direct suggested I give you more information about my life working in conservation with orangutans, what it's like working as a conservationist, in the field, in Borneo compared with Africa. I will try to give you a better picture of what it is like working in Borneo, a "typical day" if you can call it that. Despite the impression you may have gathered from this blog, like many people in the world, I work in an office in the town of Pangkalan Bun and it feels like 90% of my time is devoted to emails and Excel spreadsheets. The Orangutan Foundation has a conscious policy of capacity building and investing in Indonesians, so I am the only expatriate employee. Indeed, I am the only westerner in town! I am responsible for project supervision and all English language communication, particularly reporting to donors. I have to make regular reports from the field to the overseas offices, disseminate information from those offices to the relevant people in Indonesia, and help with proposal writing and forward planning.

Naturally part of my job involves fundraising. I think like most field based people I get so convinced by the worth of the cause I struggle a bit to complete grant applications, especially those using buzz words, for example “Tell us about the multiplier effects of your planned project” (huh, we’re trying to multiply orangutans aren’t we?!) Crucially we have recently received large grants towards habitat protection work. For instance, the United Nations Environment Program with European Union funding supports our work in the Belantikan Hulu; this region contains the largest population of wild orangutans outside of a protected area. However, all of our orangutan rehabilitation work is funded from private donations and last year that cost over US$100,000. As the UK office has grown tired of telling me “Stephen, buying lottery tickets is not a sustainable fundraising strategy!”

The Orangutan Foundation office has a friendly relaxed atmosphere and is a lovely place to work from. There is a garden with a fish pond and mango, rambutan and banana trees, producing the most delicious fruit. The whole operations of the Foundation are co-ordinated from the office, we communicate by radio to all our field posts and my colleagues do a truly fantastic job. In the office there is Ully, the Office Manager; Astri, the Liaison Officer, who also helps me with this blog; Jak, the Patrol Manager; Teguh, the Guard Post Supervisor; Devis from Pondok Ambung and finally the Belantikan Conservation Programme team also work from the office. Tigor, who runs the Lamandau Rehabilitation Camps, works out of the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine facility (OCCQ). There are numerous powercuts in Pangkalan Bun and so those lucky enough to have a laptop, Jak, Asti and I, often giggle at the moans coming from the others when the power cuts out! When around the orangutans, or on patrol, we wear a uniform which helps the orangutans to recognise and distinguish between Foundation staff and other people who might pose a threat.

Top photo - outside of the office. This photo -inside of the office

Teguh and I are the only Christians. The rest of the people in the office are Moslem & our field staff are a mix of Christian, Moslem and Dayak – which is useful as it means someone is always willing to work on one or other of the religious holidays. Jak and Teguh are married with two children each, Astri is married, Devis is too young, or so we tell him, and everyone is forever teasing Ully about when she’ll get married. However, given her IQ is about the twice that of the rest of us (probably combined) when the time comes, I have no doubt she’ll be the one doing the choosing.

Today was a fairly typical day: I was at the OCCQ just after 8 am, as I had to give the vets some darts (injectable syringes for their blow pipe) that have just been donated.

I also wanted to check on a female orangutan, Mumsie, who had been brought down from Lamandau suffering from suspected anaemia - blood loss possibly with malaria. Thankfully she is fine and, all being well, will be returned to the forest in a few days. I then went back to the office. For most of the day I continued writing up our 2007 Annual Report which, as it also has to be in Indonesian, Astri and I did together. The head of one of Tanjung Puting National Park’s management units stopped by to discuss plans for 2008. It was then back to my desk briefly before heading out in the afternoon with Jak to check on a new guard post we are building in Lamandau.

The new post site

This post, which will stop people using a river to enter the Reserve, is part funded by the Australian Orangutan Project and I need to update them on progress. We got back to town at 6.30pm and, after having fed myself, I am typing this at 8pm. I’ll stop soon!

Apart from us here in Indonesia, there is the UK Office without whose support none of this would be possible. I give them more problems than they deserve and still they continue to back us up 100%. For that I can not thank them often enough.

There are two other things that are probably worth saying about my work with orangutans; firstly, unlike just a few short years ago, the sense we have now is no longer of trying to stop orangutans from falling over the brink into extinction but in pulling them further away from the brink. Not everywhere – certainly not across their entire range – but in specific places we are well on the way to saving orangutans, and we should all feel good about that. Vigilance and on-going dedication is still needed; the fires of late 2006 threatened to undo all the gains we had made. Nevertheless, better to focus on the positives than the negatives.

Orangutan in Tanjung Puting National Park (photo by Mark Fellows)

The second thing is that, partisan as I may be, the Orangutan Foundation is honest, and that is almost entirely due to the culture Ashley Leiman, the Orangutan Foundation Founder and Director, has established for the organisation. Of course, we’ll tell you our successes, but we’ll also be honest in saying when things don’t go well: in the middle of last year we managed to stop a palm-oil plantation from being established along Lamandau’s borders. But the year before, we failed to stop Tanjung Puting from losing some 5,000 + hectares.

In my blog I talk about my work with orangutans but it is not just saving orangutans. What is really great to think about is the incredible biodiversity (proboscis monkeys, gibbons, kingfishers and hornbills -I could go on and on!) found in their habitat that is also protected as a direct result of conserving a flagship species, the orangutan.

Thank you

Dear Theresa thank you very, very much for your offer of a donation for malarial medicines. At the risk of sounding silly though, I have to confess I am not exactly sure how the donation side of things works. (I was gong to add "I just do the work", but know I would be told "No, you just write the stories"!) I am pretty certain a bank check payable to Orangutan Foundation would work. However, to be on the safe side, I will get the Orangutan Foundation UK office to contact you to confirm the best method. BTW, I know as a condition of having space on Wildlife Direct, a dedicated bank account was set up, which is managed by the UK office. This is where your donation will be banked. I also see there were a couple of questions on climbing up the radio mast. Neither going up nor going down was pleasant. The antenna is sited maybe 60 – 70 feet up (approx.20m) the mast. I have to say though, the first ever antenna to go up was at Camp Leakey, TPNP. That one was at the very top of the mast, 33m up and I kid you not, besides dropping spanners and nuts I had the horror of having an orangutan climb up after me. Those towers weren't made for two. Fortunately she stopped about half way up and I just waited until she could be enticed away.

Jodie tells me she has a photo of Boni which I will try to get from her. In the meantime, here's another of her and Peter's photos from the OCCQ, which I love; Ibu (Mrs) Ida taking the babies out for their forest time.

As always, thank you for your interest and support

Stephen