Orangutan Stories: Ilik

This month our field team are delighted to announce the exciting news that wild female orangutan Ilik has successfully given birth!

Ilik shows off her swollen belly a few weeks before giving birth

Ilik’s exact age is unknown as she was translocated to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in 2007. It would be fair to say that she feels safe this protected habitat, without the threat of habitat encroachment, as her latest arrival is now her second infant in the forest.

In May 2016, our team were over the moon to see that Ilik had settled into her surroundings and had given birth to her first offspring- a female named Izzy. Tragically however, after a couple of years, Ilik was found carrying the lifeless body of Izzy. It was sad for us to see Ilik not wanting to give up her dead infant. She continued to carry the body around in the trees for a few days until she was ready to let go.

There are many potential hazards which could endanger the life of a young wild orangutan such as pythons, leopards, and wild boars; but Izzy’s death appeared to be inexplicable to our staff. Following a detailed necropsy there appeared to be no wounds or damage to Izzy’s internal organs, so the cause of death for Ilik’s first infant remains unknown. An unfortunate yet heart-breaking quirk of nature perhaps.

Knowing Ilik’s history, we were even more thrilled to see that this month she has given birth again in the Reserve. Our team at Camp Gemini noticed recently that Ilik ventured deep into the forest away from camp, only to return four days later with an infant holding on tightly. The first recorded birth of 2021 and eighth born in the Reserve in the past 12 months!

Despite Ilik losing her first born, we are confident that this experience will hold her in good stead to care for her newest arrival. In the meantime, it’s heart-warming to see that the pair seem happy climbing in the trees around camp. Currently Ilik is being followed by a member of our field team who has reported back that both are looking well and the infant is still so tiny that we cannot yet identify the sex.

Orangutan Stories: Brian

One might think that when an orangutan is rescued and released into the wild- it’s plain sailing from thereon in. For inexperienced orangutans like Brian however, it can take a while to find your feet in the challenging life of the forest.

Brian was originally rescued as a pet. The whereabouts of his mother are unknown.

In 2009, after quarantine Brian was brought to Camp Gemini in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve by government officials (BKSDA) so that he would have the opportunity to integrate into the surrounding orangutan population. At three years old and without his mother to learn from, Brian needed a role-model to help him adapt to this new environment. Fortunately, female orangutan Rosa did not have an infant of her own at the time and showed compassion in taking Brian under her wing. Together they formed a strong pair, and from his surrogate mother Brian was taught the basic forest skills required to survive in the forest.

Rosa & Brian

Brian

Rosa & Brian

Brian

Rosa & Brian at camp

Rosa & Brian at camp

Brian

Rosa & Brian released into the forest

After two years, Rosa gave birth to an infant of her own and began venturing into the forest without Brian in tow. He may have been jealous of Rosa’s new arrival, but it was the push Brian needed to roam the forest independently and become confident in the trees. It wasn’t long until he crossed paths with a larger wild orangutan named Bangkal who has been the dominant male in this area of the Reserve for many years. To his credit Brian did not back down, but following a confrontation with Bangkal, our field team decided that it would be beneficial for Brian to be translocated elsewhere in the forest for his own safety.

Wild male orangutans cover large areas, sometimes hundreds of acres of habitat as they search for a mate or fruiting tree. It’s therefore quite common for their ranges to overlap with other males, leading to quarrels from time to time.

After his relocation to Camp Buluh, Brian was sadly involved in another fracas with a wild male in 2019. Not learning his lesson from his previous encounter, Brian perhaps acted more bravely than he should have and had an unfortunate run-in with wild male Yoko. During this clash Brian suffered severe injuries to his head, body, and arms, resulting in him requiring some emergency treatment and minor surgery from our vet. Despite the slight dent in confidence, with some time to lick his wounds Brian soon made a full recovery and was able to get back in the trees where he belongs.

Our team decided that another relocation to Camp JL would be the best fit for Brian’s return to the forest as there would be fewer competition with dominant males. Now Brian has adapted to this new area of the forest and seems to happily swing in the trees around camp and across the river. His story shows how challenging life in the forest can be for orangutans that are still learning, and also how resilient this critically endangered great ape can be.

Brian has overcome many challenges and is now thriving at Camp JL

Orangutan Stories: Bumi

In June 2017, local government officials from BKSDA informed the Foundation that a young male orangutan had been kept as a pet in a cage and confiscated from a nearby village. Entrusted into the care of the Orangutan Foundation, our veterinary team quickly examined the infant, named Bumi, who was estimated to be around three and a half years old.

Under inspection it was discovered that Bumi, a name that in English means ‘Earth’, tragically had gun pellets lodged in his skin. It’s uncertain how Bumi received these injuries, but likely that he had been shot during his separation from his mother. Fortunately, our expert team where able to remove seven gun pellets from Bumi’s body (as seen below), and he successfully entered into the Foundation’s soft-release programme for orphaned orangutans in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Alongside Endut and Satria at Camp Rasak, in the soft-release programme Bumi has been able to practice pivotal skills such as nest-building, climbing, and searching for food in the natural environment of the forest. A fast learner, Bumi quickly began showcasing his nest-building ability from a young age in his enclosure.

Bumi’s progress from when he first arrived has developed remarkably well. Now at around seven years of age he is growing into a strong young male orangutan, confident climbing and searching for food in the trees, and capable of building large sturdy nests.

Under the close watch of our field team, Bumi has even been able to stay out overnight to become more habituated to forest conditions. Not all conditions however, as when it rains Bumi will often run back to shelter in the safety of camp. Once truly independent, he will be ready to be released.

Following his latest medical check-up, Bumi was given the all-clear for potential illnesses such as Hepatitis, and received supplementary vitamins to help him stay healthy. With this clean bill of health it could be only a matter of time until Bumi will be released into the forest. This is a tremendous achievement for this spirited young orangutan, especially taking into account his difficult early life as a pet.

Orangutan Stories: Nyunyu

One of five orphaned orangutans at Camp JL within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Nyunyu has progressed tremendously since her introduction to the Foundation’s soft-release programme in 2017.

At around 3½ years old, Nyunyu was discovered being kept as a pet before being handed over to our team in the town of Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Without a mother to learn from, entering a programme to learn and develop essential forest skills was critical for Nyunyu so that she could have the best possible chance of a successful future in the wild.

Our team transport Boy (left), Mona (middle), and Nyunyu (right) from their overnight enclosures into the forest.

Today, Nyunyu shares Camp JL with fellow orangutans Boy, Mona, Timtom, and Adib. These young primates are regularly brought into the forest by our assistants to practice skills such as climbing, nest-building, and foraging for food.

Our teams frequently observe Nyunyu eating bark, fruits, and ants in the trees, but had never seen her building a nest- until now. Recently we spotted her bending tree branches and eating the young leaves, as per usual, however she then began arranging the vegetation into the shape of a nest for the very first time. A breakthrough moment for the learning great ape!

As it was Nyunyu’s first ever attempt at building a nest, it is fair to say that it was not as strong as it could be. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful sign that Nyunyu’s forest skills are developing and she’s continuing to grow in confidence.

Initially she was only content testing her abilities in the trees around camp, but now Nyunyu is capable of going deeper into the forest to climb and explore new areas of habitat.

Will practice make perfect for Nyunyu’s nest-building ability? Only time will tell, but our team will continue to monitor her progress and are very pleased with the growth she has made thus far. We are hopeful that Nyunyu has the potential to join the many orangutan graduates of the soft-release programme and be released into the Reserve one day.

It’s never easy for a young primate to adjust from a life in a cage to one in the forest, but Nyunyu is a prime example of a rescued orangutan on the right path to a successful independent future in the wild.

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.

Orangutan Stories: Betli

This month we focus our attention on orangutan mother Betli; a well-known face to our field staff in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo.

This tropical forest is home to around 600 critically endangered orangutans, roughly half of which are reintroduced having been ex-captive or rescued. From our forest camps we monitor as many of these great apes as possible to ensure that the population remains healthy, and our team recently observed that Betli has wonderfully added one more precious infant to the growing number of orangutans in the Reserve.

Betli and her new baby take a rest on the forest floor.

As an entirely wild orangutan her exact age is unknown, but it’s thought that Betli was around 7 years of age when first sighted by our field team at Camp Buluh in 2009. Since then she has gone on to care for three other infants, with her newest arrival her fourth offspring.

Berlane is Betli’s oldest son, and is still observed from time to time foraging in the forest.

Like many new orangutan mother’s, Betli is protective of her baby. This means that although some magnificent photos have been taken of the pair, our team haven’t yet been able to identify the sex of the infant. Most importantly Betli and her young appear healthy and we look forward to keeping an eye on their progress in the forest.

Following Betli’s and Passion’s latest arrivals, it appears we will end 2020 having recorded an astonishing seven orangutan births in just 12 months. This number of orangutan arrivals in such a short space of time has never been witnessed before by our team, and emphasizes how important this protected habitat is for the future of this critically endangered species.

Orangutan Stories: Maya

This week, wild orangutan Macho will be 6 years old and his mother Maya has given him an extra special birthday gift- a new sibling to play with!

Astonishingly, Maya’s new infant will be the sixth orangutan birth recorded in 2020 in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, just a couple of weeks after we shared the news of Betli’s latest arrival. Considering that female orangutans will generally have a maximum of three or four offspring in their lifetime as they care for their young for several years, it puts into perspective how fruitful this year has been for the orangutans of this Reserve.

Macho and his mother Maya forage for fruit and young leaves in the forest together

23-year-old Maya’s newest arrival will be her third infant following her son Mozart who was born in 2008 and her second son Macho. Although learning to be independent, Macho still never seems to stray too far away from his mother, and the pair are occasionally observed together searching for food in the forest near Camp Gemini.

Maya was photographed in September showing signs of pregnancy

Our monitoring staff at camp were thrilled this week to learn that Macho had received a new brother or sister. On Monday afternoon our team spotted Maya and Macho as normal, but under closer inspection it was evident that there was a new face buried into the hair on Maya’s back.

Naturally being protective of her young infant, Maya has kept her newborn close in their precious first days together, so much so that our team are yet to get a clear photograph of the young primate. It’s thought that the newborn is female, making her Maya’s first daughter, but more observations are required before we can begin to definitively identify the sex and give a name to the infant.

Most importantly, these critically endangered orangutans appear to be healthy and doing very well in this natural habitat. We’re confident that Maya will be as caring a mother to her newborn as she has been to Macho and we look forward to studying their relationship as it grows together.

Maya and Macho

Great apes in print

We have been working with outstanding wildlife photographer Ian Wood to raise awareness of orangutans and showcase some of Ian's wonderful photographic prints.

For the unique opportunity to obtain a limited edition, high-quality orangutan print, join the online auction here for your chance to bid on a one-off print signed by our Founder & Director/Trustee, Ashley Leiman OBE. You can also visit the Lucy Bell Gallery in St Leonard’s-on Sea before the 14th November to see this amazing work in person!

Additionally, there are five incredible prints available online with 25% of all proceeds going to the Orangutan Foundation. Each print has their own story from Ian:

Photo 1 - Wise man of the forest
A close encounter with this wild male Borneo orangutan in Lamandau wildlife reserve, Kalimantan, Indonesia. This area of forest offers real hope for the future and is where the Orangutan Foundation’s forest regeneration program takes place with tens of 1000s of new trees planted.

Photo 2 - The kiss
Orangutans are the best mothers in the natural world with their offspring dependent on them for up to eight years. I captured this moment in Tanjung Puting National Park,Borneo, which shows the love between mum and baby is very mutual.

Photo 3 - Gentle giant
I was fascinated with this male orangutan’s interaction with a butterfly which I hope captures the gentle nature of these animals. Taken in Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo.

Photo 4 -The windows to the soul
I love being in a storm in the rain forest and this was taken after a downpour of biblical proportions. Crouching under a tarpaulin to keep my camera gear dry, I waited for the deluge to end and was rewarded with such a close encounter with this curious baby orangutan.

Photo 5 - Joy
Observing young orangutans is often an experience full of joy and the expression on this one’s face sums up this enchanting spirit they have. Taken in Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo.

Orangutan Stories: Aan

Rescues are an essential pillar of our work as they save orangutans in need. The majority of rescues take place in oil-palm plantations or community land where orangutans can become stranded and unable to find suitable forest habitat in which to survive.

After medical check-ups, most adult rescued orangutans are able to be swiftly released back into a natural habitat that is protected such as the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. However due to the injuries inflicted on female orangutan Aan, she is an unfortunate exception to this rule.

On her rescue from an oil-palm plantation in 2012, our team discovered that Aan’s left eyeball was missing entirely and under initial inspection, it was clear that she was malnourished and that her body was peppered with wounds from air rifle pellets. It was estimated that there were around 12 pellets visible in her skin but an X-ray would be required to find out the true extent of her injuries.

Incredibly it was revealed that Aan had in fact been shot over 100 times; 67 times on her arms, legs, and torso, and 37 on her head. It was truly remarkable that she was still alive.

Following a successful operation (below), 30 rifle pellets were safely removed from around Aan’s face whilst the remaining bullets were too deep under the skin and not doing any harm. She was then transported to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve where she could recover and gather her strength.

It soon became apparent that Aan’s right eye was also not responsive, and unless this sight could be restored, she would never be able to be released back into the wild for her own safety.

A ray of hope came in 2017 when a group of vets from the UK travelled to Borneo to operate on Aan’s remaining eye (below). At first there was cautious optimism as Aan’s cataract was removed and her optic nerve was still intact, however once she had come round from the anaesthetic, it appeared that unfortunately the damage she had previously sustained was too much.

Aan is now around 20 years old. In the wild she may have been raising her first or second infant, but instead she must be cared for as she cannot survive by herself. Our team continue to feed, stimulate, and provide enrichment by giving her tree branches and updating her enclosure at Camp Gemini, but it is difficult not to imagine how different her life would be in other circumstances.

Aan’s future has been determined by the damage inflicted to her by humas in the past, and we hope that she is the last orangutan in our care that cannot go back to where she belongs- the wild.

News from Sumatra - An update from our partners at SOCP

Please read the orangutan update below written by our partners at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme. Together we are working to protect the habitat and future of all three critically endangered species of orangutan:

On Wednesday 26th August, 2020, the orangutan post-release monitoring team at the SOCP’s Jantho orangutan reintroduction site, in Aceh province, came across an adult female orangutan. After a quick check to see if they could figure out who it was, they noticed that she was carrying a young infant, no more than a few months old! The baby orangutan is male and is the third baby orangutan born in Jantho since the SOCP's Orangutan Reintroduction Programme began releasing orangutans into the Jantho Nature Reseve in 2011. Mother and baby both appear to be healthy and are behaving just like wild orangutans would. The infant is being carried properly by his mother and has been seen breastfeeding without difficulty on numerous occasions.

After checking some earlier photographs the team are confident the mother is 'Edelweiss', actually the very first orangutan to be released at Jantho back in 2011. After her release she immediately moved away from the camp area and deep into the forest. On February 11, 2020, a female orangutan strongly suspected to be Edelweiss was observed not far from the orangutan reintroduction site and at that time she was showing signs of being pregnant.

The aim of SOCP's orangutan release program at Jantho is to build a new, wild population of Sumatran orangutans (pongo abelii) as a "safety net" or "backup", should a of catastrophe befall the remaining truly wild populations in and around the Leuser Ecosystem. This is especially important in the midst of the current pandemic, as whilst the scientific evidence suggests orangutans and the other great apes are susceptible to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the effect it might have on them remains entirely unknown.

To date, more than 120 individual orangutans have been successfully released into the Jantho Nature Reserve but many more are needed before the population could be considered genetically viable and self-sustaining for the long term. For this reason, every orangutan released or born in Jantho’s forests is extremely significant and important, and gives new hope for the future of this critically endangered species.

Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, Dr Ian Singleton said “We always knew it would be several years before we really started to see infants being born on a regular basis among the new population of orangutans we are creating in Jantho. This is because most of the orangutans we release there are 5 to 8 years old, whilst wild orangutan females tend to be around 15 years old on average when they have their first infant. It's great to see these new infants starting to appear though, and it's especially rewarding when you think about all the hard work, spanning many years, that goes into reintroducing each and every one of the orangutans we have released to date. That these new infants have never known captivity and human contact is also extremely heart-warming, and hopefully they never will, unlike their parents, whose own mother’s were almost certainly killed during their original capture and some of whom have endured years chained by the neck or kept in tiny cages at the hands of their illegal owners. The orangutans we are releasing in Jantho, and those now being born there, really are the founders of this entirely new wild population, and it's never been more important to have these ‘back up’ populations as we face the extremely worrying prospect of SARS-CoV-2 infections passing from humans to orangutans, both in captivity and in the wild”.

Photos by Kike Arnal/Arcus Foundation

Orangutan Stories: Suwita

Biologically speaking, humans and orangutans are similar as we share around 97% of the same DNA. It could be said that orangutans also share comparable traits with us when it comes to parenting, as mothers teach their young essential skills for later life, and provide them with shelter each night.

As Orangutan Foundation’s founder and director/trutee, Ashley Leiman, says: “It is very special to watch a mother and infant together. I think the bond is so exceptional because orangutans are solitary. I’ve seen gorillas and chimps with offspring and the whole group is involved in the upbringing. Likewise elephants - if a calf falls over, all the aunties and extended family reach out to pick it up and get it back on its feet. With orangutans, all that care and teaching and relationship is condensed into the mother-infant bond. The mother’s eyes are never off the young”.

Suwita gives our team a rare glimpse of her young infant

Wild female orangutan Suwita has shown these crucial maternal characteristics over the previous weeks as she carefully looks after her new baby and appears to be showing the nurturing instincts you would expect for an orangutan mother’s first offspring.

Suwita was born in the forest near Camp Rasak in 2009 and of the four new wild orangutan mothers discovered recently within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Suwita looks to be the most protective of her new baby.

Our field teams are continuously monitoring wild and reintroduced orangutans inside this protected habitat, and to help keep a visual record of their development, we try and take photographs from a suitable distance. Following careful observations of Suwita, it has now been discovered that her offspring is in fact male and has been given the name Samuel, but it hasn’t been easy to get a clear sight of the young primate.

Young Samuel is kept close as his mother feeds

Unlike the other recent orangutan mothers who almost appear to show off their newborns, Suwita is very protective to the extent that our team initially struggled somewhat in identifying the sex of her infant. When sat on a branch in trees Suwita rests her son securely on her lap to feed, and when travelling through the canopy she always makes sure that Samuel is safe and holding on tight, away from prying eyes.

Suwita is proving to be a doting mother to Samuel. It’s quite possible that her protective nature has developed from memories of her mother Sawit, but whatever the reason, it’s wonderful for us to observe a wild orangutan so caring for her first offspring.

Orangutan Stories: Sheila

Sheila is a female orangutan who was reintroduced to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in 2004 and is now one our regular visitors to Camp Gemini within the forest. Her story is one that mirrors many orangutans that have been translocated to the safety of this Reserve, and one that shows how suited this environment is for a healthy population of orangutans.

Sheila and her third offspring Sony forage for food in the trees.

Our field team have monitored Sheila’s progress since her arrival into the forest at around five years of age and recorded all of the major events in her life. From the unfortunate passing of her one-year-old son Shola in 2007, to the births of her daughter Sakura in 2008 and son Sony in 2014. Sakura is now at an age where she can roam independently in the forest, but young Sony is still spotted at camp shadowing his mother from time to time.

Sakura (left) is now an adolescent exploring the forest independently, while Sony (right) is becoming more self-reliant but still stays in close proximity to his mother.

While all three orangutans live entirely in the wild, they are observed by our team when they come near to camp to ensure that they remain in good health. In recent months however, Orangutan Foundation staff saw that Sheila’s throat sack had grown bigger, an unusual occurrence for female orangutans. Males commonly have larger throat sacks, acting as echo-chambers as they produce their resonating long-call through the forest, but typically females do not.

Following some deliberation it was the decision of our vet Dr Dimas that the best course of action would be to observe Sheila more closely and anesthetise her so that her throat could be suitably checked. One afternoon with Sony playing in a nearby tree, our team were able to carefully sedate Sheila and begin their examination.

Generally Sheila appeared to be in good health, however a syringe would need to be inserted into her throat sack to check whether it contained excess air or fluid which may need releasing. In reality though, it turned out to be neither of these things. Instead it was discovered that Sheila had an extra layer of fat which fortunately is not suspected to be harmful to her wellbeing. Dr Dimas was happy to give Sheila a supplementary vitamin injection and clean bill of health to go back into the forest.

Her progress will continue to be monitored, but it is tremendously reassuring for our team to know that orangutans like Sheila in this forest are prospering in a protected natural habitat.

Support orangutan habitat for International Orangutan Day

This week please help us protect 300 acres of crucial orangutan habitat to reach our goal on International Orangutan Day, Wednesday 19th August.

This would be a wonderful reward for our team who have continued to work through lockdown, and for the Foundation as a whole on our 30th anniversary. Importantly however, it would ensure that we can continue to protect and reforest a vital biodiverse ecosystem, home to around 5,000 critically endangered orangutans.

Every sponsor between 12th-19th August will receive an email acknowledgement thanking them for their generosity. It can even be bought as an e-gift by entering a name and email address into the ‘Additional Info’ tab during the checkout process.

It costs just £2 to safeguard an area of tropical forest for a whole year, so truly every tree and every penny counts!

Orangutan Stories: Labetty and Suwita

Forget the wet and dry seasons, for the orangutans of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve at the moment it appears to be baby season! Following the news of Pauline and Queen both giving birth in recent weeks, we are thrilled to report two more additions to the forest from first-time mothers Labetty and Suwita.

It’s not always easy to identify a pregnant orangutan as the signs can be subtle, but in recent months our teams have been keeping a watchful eye on a handful of females who appear to have slightly enlarged bellies, genitals and appetites; one of whom has been Labetty (above).

Labetty is a wild orangutan who our team at Camp Rasak have been observing on her occasional visits since her birth in 2007. Despite her larger size in recent months however, Labetty still appears to be one of the fastest orangutans in the forest and seems to glide through the trees with speed and elegance, regardless of her pregnancy. It was predicted that Labetty would give birth in around a month’s time so it was somewhat of a surprise when she was spotted this week with her new baby, identified as a male.

It would be fair to say that Suwita (above) has also surprised our team this week. It wasn’t until relatively recently that Suwita was identified as another pregnant female, but the duration of her gestation period was unknown. With wild orangutan males Ewet and Tole also spotted from time to time at Camp Rasak, it was thought that one of these males (most likely Ewet) must have mated with her at some point, but when? It wasn’t until this week when Suwita was observed with her young infant that our team knew she must have mated around 9 months ago.

The sex of Suwita’s new baby is currently unknown but our field team and veterinary staff will continue to monitor the progress of her and Labetty in the coming months. We look forward to collecting and sharing footage of the pair caring for their new infants in the forest very soon.

Through their new infants, Suwita (left) and Labetty (right) are contributing to a more secure future for this orangutan population.

To witness four wild orangutan births within a matter of weeks is a remarkable achievement and demonstrates how settled this population of great apes is in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. For all of us at the Orangutan Foundation, this news truly feels like a fitting reward on the 30th anniversary of our conservation work, supporting these critically endangered primates and protecting their natural forest environment.

Cause for celebration! The first orangutan birth of the year

It was with great excitement and surprise that Orangutan Foundation staff recently caught a glimpse of Pauline, a wild orangutan rarely seen at Camp Gemini, proudly displaying her new two-week-old baby boy.

Our team are thrilled to welcome the first newborn orangutan of the year, and the first offspring for new mother Pauline. Her infant has been named 'Pancaran' by Ibu Siti, the local Minister of Environment and Forestry. It’s heartening that in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, orangutans have provided us with some recent good news and encouragement for the future.

Pauline is the thirteen-year-old daughter of reintroduced orangutan Paula, and spends much of her time in the forest. It’s thought that last year Pauline mated with Carlos, a wild male orangutan who is also sporadically spotted at Camp Gemini. What is just as exciting is that she may not be the only orangutan with a newborn this year, as four other females in the forest also appear to be pregnant.

Betli and Queen have extended bellies and are eating for two at Camp Buluh

Our field teams keep a close eye on all of the wild and reintroduced orangutans that visit our five forest camps in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, but are keeping particularly close tabs on Labetty and Suwita at Camp Rasak, and Queen and Betli at Camp Buluh who may all be expecting newborns soon. Hopefully providing a bumper year for orangutan births in the forest.

Despite her pregnancy, Labetty is still a speedy climber though the forest

Orangutans take many years to rear their young, which is why having observed 15 births in the past five years alone, our team are proud to see that the Reserve is clearly a habitat in which these critically endangered great apes are not only surviving but thriving. We will continue to protect this vital orangutan stronghold, and look forward to welcoming more new arrivals in the coming months.

Orangutan Stories: Adib

Adib is the youngest male orangutan among the ten orphans currently in Orangutan Foundation’s soft-release programme. Despite his young age, Adib has experienced and endured a great deal in his early life.

Once entered into the soft-release programme, Adib takes his first ever climb into the trees.

Adib was raised as a pet until he was rescued in 2017 at around one and a half years old. Orangutans of his age in the wild would be entirely reliant on their mother in order to learn necessary forest skills and receive proper nourishment. With the likelihood that his mother was killed, it was therefore vital that Adib should receive appropriate care in the Foundation’s soft-release programme and develop in a natural environment.

Adib shares his current surroundings with four other orphans at Camp JL within the protected forest of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo. Each morning these young primates climb out of their overnight enclosures and enthusiastically swing between branches, forage for food, and practice nest-making skills around camp. With no mother to keep a watchful eye on them, it’s the role of our expert team of assistants to ensure that these orphans stay safe.

When climbing high in the canopy is involved, there is always a danger to these adventurous young orangutans and accidents can still happen, as Adib discovered himself in December 2018. As he practised his climbing by stretching between branches in the trees, Adib accidentally fell to the ground and appeared to be in some discomfort. Following emergency X-rays, our vet Dr Dimas discovered that Adib had a small fracture in his right arm and required a temporary cast in order to hold it in place.

Fortunately at such a young age Adib’s bones are able to heal more rapidly, and ten days after his accident, he was able to grip fruit and hold onto camp staff as they held him.

Despite what must have been a painful time for Adib, it hasn’t stopped him from being adventurous and active in the forest today. Now at 4 years of age, he’s beginning to master the art of climbing through the trees in search for food, but still has some time to go before he becomes an expert nest-builder.

Our team are encouraged by the progress Adib has made since his time in the Foundation’s orangutan soft-release programme and look forward to the day that he will be fully prepared for an independent future in the wild.

Our new partnership to protect all three species of orangutan

Orangutan Foundation is pleased to announce that we have entered into a new partnership to support the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, which has been operating in Sumatra for the past 20 years.

Whilst we have supported this programme in the past, this new partnership will ensure that in the future, the Foundation is more effective in its efforts to help conserve all three critically endangered species of orangutan - Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans.

We will now be including news updates from Sumatra and Borneo in our e-news, blogs and social media posts.

Photos by Kike Arnal/Arcus Foundation

30 years and counting

This year at the Foundation we are celebrating an important milestone- 30 years of conservation.

30 years protecting the critically endangered orangutan. 30 years on the front line guarding the vulnerable tropical forests of Borneo. 30 years collaborating with local people with environmental education and sustainable land-management practices.

The Orangutan Foundation’s programmes and primary focus is in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Our country office in Pangkalan Bun is responsible for the livelihoods of 55 staff, all of whom are Indonesian from local towns and villages. This means that our dedicated workforce are fully appreciative of their surrounding environment and understand the importance of protecting their nearby forests.

In spite of the difficulties that we are currently all facing around the world, the threat to tropical forests in Borneo remains a constant, and our 10 guard posts are still alert to monitor any cases of illegal activity. These posts contain fire-fighting equipment and continue to play a vital role in protecting over half a million acres of forest across the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and Tanjung Puting National Park (below).

The Foundation’s five post release monitoring camps within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve (above left) continue to oversee reintroduced orangutans and the 10 young orphans currently in our soft-release programme. These orphans have been rescued from a life in captivity and offered a new chance of a future in the wild by learning essential skills in the safety of a protected forest.

Elsewhere in Tanjung Puting National Park, our remote camera traps are recording a fascinating insight into the diverse forests surrounding Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station (above right). Clouded leopards, tarsiers, sun bears, proboscis monkeys, and false gharial crocodiles are a handful of the unique species that continue to be observed and studied closely here.

Boy (left) and Timtom (right) are orphaned orangutans at Camp JL within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Learning from each other and the trees in the forest, the pair have the best possible opportunity to acquire the skills necessary for a life in the wild.

Meanwhile, our Habitat Restoration Programme has also been active in recent months. To date over 75,000 tree saplings have been planted since the devastating forest fires of 2015, and our team of experts are still diligently cultivating a new generation of saplings to reintroduce into the wild. We hope that these young plants which are more resistant to fires, will soon help rejuvenate new patches of forest and form part of a healthy natural ecosystem for years to come.

Saplings are transported from our nursery to an area of degraded forest where they can acclimatise to their new surroundings before being replanted.

The Orangutan Foundation operates in Indonesia under an MoU with the Ministry of Environment & Forestry and has a responsibility for our own field programmes. We were also the first organisation in the UK to raise awareness of the critically endangered orangutan and its threatened habitat 30 years ago. Despite the challenges that we face today, at the Foundation we know that we can continue our vital work long into the future. If you can, please help us maintain our important ongoing programmes by sponsoring an acre of tropical forest, adopting an orphaned orangutan, or making a donation today.

Our progress relies on the kindness of our supporters, members, and partners, so thank you for your dedicated support.

Orangutan Stories: Pegi

Each month we will be unveiling a story about the orangutans we care for at the Orangutan Foundation, and this month we focus on Pegi. Pegi is an adventurous young orphan who in her short time with us has transformed from a shy and nervous orangutan to one that is confident in the trees. So much so that recently Pegi evaded our team at Camp Buluh for two nights and stayed in the forest on her own for the very first time under the watchful eye of our team.

Pegi before she was rescued as a pet, and after she entered the Foundation’s soft-release programme.

Before entering our orangutan soft release programme within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, 8-year-old Pegi was a pet. In August 2019 she was handed over to government officials and Orangutan Foundation staff having spent the previous seven years alone inside a cramped wooden cage, during which time she was never released. She was also fed on a diet consisting of rice, noodles, fruit, and sugary drinks, conditions far from acceptable for a young critically endangered primate.

Spending so many years away from a forest it might be understandable to assume that Pegi would have lost any natural impulses, but as she is proving to our team of orangutan assistants, her wild instincts are very strong and she is quickly understanding and practising the skills necessary for a life in the wild.

When Pegi first arrived at our soft-release site in the forest, she was anxious of the water around camp. Now, one of her favourite things to do is take a gulp of water and spray it into the air!

On the morning of the 26th April, Pegi was taken out of her overnight enclosure by our team as usual to allow her to climb in the trees, eat bark, and play in the water. However later that morning Pegi decided to explore a little further than normal and follow a reintroduced female orangutan named Sugih into the forest.

Our team struggled to keep an eye on Pegi as she played high in the canopy, but in the afternoon she did something to surprise everyone, she began making her own nest. This is something that Pegi has never been observed doing before at camp, and sheltering from the rains that had swept over the forest, our team where amazed to see Pegi stay in her nest and sleep in the trees alone for the first time overnight.

With Orangutan Foundation staff keeping watch from below, Pegi continued her adventure through the forest the following day. Playing in Sugih’s nest and climbing from tree to tree, Pegi was observed eating young leaves, flowers, and fruits before adding more branches to her previous nest and settling down for another night in the forest.

This independent experience for Pegi shows how much she has progressed since her arrival last summer, however there are still abilities that need to be mastered before she is fully prepared for a life in the wild. With this in mind, our team were able to climb up Pegi’s tree on the afternoon of the 28th April and transport her back to camp where she can complete her education.

Pegi certainly appears to have the instincts for a future in the forest, and we hope that by refining her skills with fellow orphaned orangutan Okto, the pair will soon be able to be released from Camp Buluh together into the protected Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Great apes also under threat from COVID-19

In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it is not just ourselves who may be at risk from infection, but in fact all great apes. Today, people worldwide are taking necessary precautions to halt the spread of the virus to one another, and we must use these same principles in order to prevent other susceptible species from becoming a victim of the pandemic.

At this time it is not known what effect this virus has on orangutans, however when we consider that they share 97% of their DNA with humans, and that Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli species are classified as critically endangered, there is a genuine threat to these already vulnerable populations.

In an effort to temper the virus’s spread, eco-tourist sites such as Tanjung Puting National Park (above) have been temporarily closed to Indonesian and foreign visitors, much like well-known sites in Africa which have been closed to mountain gorilla viewings. At the Orangutan Foundation meanwhile, our teams continue to follow current safety measures in London and Indonesia.

In today’s unsteady climate, our priority of safeguarding orangutans and their forest environment remains a constant as we also protect our staff. Our habitat protection and restoration teams have taken note of the current warnings, and those caring for orphaned orangutans in our soft-release programme as always will continue to wear protective suits, gloves, and masks in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

During this uncertain time your support is pivotal to our ongoing work more than ever, which is why on behalf of all of us at the Foundation, we would like to thank you for helping us do all we can to protect orangutans from this threat to their future.