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.

Giant Tomistoma released back into the wild

On Saturday 15th February, our team were on hand to support the dramatic release of a very large adult Tomistoma (also known as a False Gharial); one of the largest that our team have ever seen.

A couple of days beforehand, local government officials were notified of the fact that a crocodile had been found near a village not far from Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. It was reported that the crocodile in question had incredibly already been captured by local villagers to keep their waterways safe, and once our team had arrived a short while later and observed the size of the reptile, it became clear what a herculean task capturing it must have been.

For its safety, the giant reptile is restrained during transportation.

Almost dwarfing the truck it was transported in, it took the efforts of several local people, government officers, and Orangutan Foundation staff to carefully transport the Tomistoma to a safe location in Pangkalan Bun where it could receive a medical examination.

The truly impressive specimen weighing approximately half a tonne was identified as male and measured a remarkable 4.7m from snout to tail. Our team were taken aback by the sheer size of this Tomistoma, and were delighted when physical tests confirmed that the crocodile had no injuries and was in fine health- ready to be released.

Tomistoma (Tomistoma schlegelii) are a member of the Crocodylidae family and inhabit the rivers and wetlands of South East Asia. Estimates suggest that there are fewer than ten thousand Tomistoma remaining in the wild.

Arriving at a suitable site within Tanjung Puting National Park, it took great care from the team to delicately remove the Tomistoma’s restraints and prepare for its safe release from the transport boat back into the wild. In a final dramatic twist, this large male showed a powerful example of his strength when in one sharp flick of his tail, he was able to shatter the wall of release boat’s kitchen as he descended into the river.

Fortunately no one was injured in the translocation of this large reptile. Collaboration between government rescue teams and local people played an important role in transporting the crocodile to a safe location where is will be able to hunt for food freely in the waters surrounding Tanjung Puting National Park.

Lamandau Wildlife Reserve welcomes new residents

Over the last few months of this year’s dry season alone, Orangutan Foundation staff have helped rescue and translocate double the number of orangutans than in the previous two years in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. One of these handovers was young female Pegi who had been kept inside a cage for the past seven years, but orangutans of course are not the only species that are kept captive illegally.

Earlier this month our teams were called upon once again to assist with wildlife translocations, but this time for different species who had been rescued by government officials or handed over as pets.

Gibbons are released into the forest and explore their new home

A couple of gibbons were the first animals to be released into the forest. Once their transportation crates were opened at Camp Buluh, the pair could be seen climbing to the very top of the canopy where they’re most at home swinging from branch to branch- that was until they were interrupted by male orangutan Yoko. Coming face-to-face with a large primate several times their size might understandably be intimidating for a gibbon new to this habitat, but following a brief pause to observe one another, the individuals soon parted ways and continued roaming through the trees.

Yoko and newly released gibbon lock eyes for a moment

Also released with this pair of apes into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve was perhaps one of the most beautiful tropical birds found in these forests- the Rhinoceros Hornbill. These large birds are a crucial seed disperser in the forest. After feeding on fruits and berries in the canopy, they can then carry the seeds for many miles before depositing them elsewhere. Our team were elated to see an individual finally stretch it’s winds and be released back into the wild by Camp JL.

A hornbill is transported for release at its new home within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve

Our team’s final translocation was a young female sun bear named Bella. Without its mother, a sun bear cub may find life in the forest challenging as they’re yet to learn the best methods to search and forage for food. It’s for this reason why our team at Camp Gemini have introduced Bella into a habituation enclosure where she can first become accustomed to her forest surroundings before being released.

One-year-old Bella is introduced to her new temporary home at Camp Gemini

It’s worrying to know that some individuals still see wild species as potential pets, but it is at least reassuring for us to know that the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve is a habitat that is protected and can therefore offer the possibility of a new beginning for these wildlife species, as well as orangutans.

To help protect these forests, please show your support between midday 3rd to 10th December 2019 via our Big Give appeal, which will double any donations in this time!

Why play is important for young orangutans

The orphaned orangutans in our soft-release programme in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, are taken out to play in the forest every day. Play-time is crucial for the young orangutans as it allows them to watch and learn from each other. Together, they find food and build nests. Play helps to build up their strength and climbing skills. This video, taken recently, show’s Mona “at home” in the forest. Just watch how she uses her hand-like feet and every-which-way hips to move with such ease and confidence.

The next video clip shows Nyunyu eating bark with Mona (above right) watching and joining in.

Partnerships for Protection

Most people’s idea of orangutan conservation would evoke a picture of a life in the wild, tracking these charismatic apes through the forest, rescuing and releasing them into a sunlit canopy. While this is one element, the reality of our work is a much bigger picture.

Release of orangutan back into the wild

Orangutan conservation must address the complex issues affecting the wider landscape and habitat, and this involves an in-depth understanding of land management and negotiation with government, communities, and private sector stakeholders. It sometimes feels far from the animals in the forest, but it’s fundamental to their future survival.

This week, Orangutan Foundation and the Central Kalimantan Wildlife Department (BKSDA) held a workshop on Management of Wildlife in Protected Forest and Production Forest Areas and a Forum on Orangutans and Oil-Palm Plantations.  There were more than 30 participants from parties including the Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation (KKH), Ditjend KSDAE-Ministry of LHK, Central Kalimantan Orangutan Forum (Forkah), Central Kalimantan Forest Service, Orangutan Foundation (OF-UK Indonesia), Korindo Group, Wilmar Group, and Central Kalimantan BKSDA.

Workshop participants including Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation (KKH), Ditjend KSDAE-Ministry of LHK, Central Kalimantan Orangutan Forum (Forkah), Central Kalimantan Forest Service, Orangutan Foundation (OF-UK Indonesia), Korindo Group, Wilmar Group, and Central Kalimantan BKSDA.

Forum on Orangutan and Oil-Palm Plantations

The big issue for the Bornean Orangutan species is that 80% of the population are extremely vulnerable, as they live in forest habitats with no active protection (i.e. not inside a national park or wildlife reserve).

Active habitat protection: Orangutan Foundation guard post monitoring the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan Indonesian Borneo

These forests, which have been shrinking dramatically over the last few decades, and the animals that live there, are at risk as most of them are in active ‘concessions’ – areas where access to the land has been granted for some form of industrial use. There are many different legal designations, including natural timber concessions, industrial timber plantations and areas of forest still remaining inside oil-palm concessions, as well as forests on community lands. There are also areas of ‘Hutan Lindung’, Protection Forest, a special designation where the forest provides a wider ecosystem service to protect soils and water catchment. Proper management of these forests is crucial to mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife and to reduce the number of isolated orangutans that end up needing to be rescued.

At the end of the two days, all of the participants agreed to sign a joint commitment to implementing Best Management Practices focused on the protection of orangutans and wildlife in Production Forests and Protection Forests, as well as in oil-palm plantations. This is a vital step forward in securing the survival of the Bornean orangutan; and for this we are very grateful for the continued support from all our members and donors and in particular, to the Arcus Foundation.  The next step is to ensure these commitments made on paper translate to commitments on the ground.

Wild Bornean female and infant orangutan. By Ian Wood

Baby orangutan born

We are delighted to announce the arrival of another baby orangutan born into the protected Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo. Our staff believe the orangutan was born on 26th January. Mother, Holahonolulu (Hola for short) was seen with her new infant at Camp Gemini's feeding site. We think the father is likely to be Bangkal, the dominant male, as they were seen mating on several occasions.

Both Hola and her baby looked healthy. Hola ate a lot of fruit, the extra energy needed for milk production. As yet, our staff could not tell what sex the baby was.

Hola was born in the wild in December 2004 and her mother was Huber. Huber was rehabilitated by OFI and was released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in December 1999, but she has since passed away.

Our staff have yet to name Hola's new baby so we thought we would ask for your help.  Send us your suggestions (leave a comment), it must start with an H and be a unisex name. We will decide on Monday 5th February.

Help us to ensure these orangutans remain in the wild and that their forest home stays protected. Click here to donate today!

Orangutan Foundation - a future for orangutans, forests & people

Vet's first orangutan rescue

The Orangutan Foundation is delighted to welcome Dimas Yuzrifar as its new vet, replacing Dr Steven, who has now returned to Bali. Being "thrown in at the deep end" is certainly how the first week has been for Dr Dimas!  Last weekend we received reports of a wild orangutan in village forest. This was passed onto the government agency for wildlife, BKSDA SKW II Pangkalan Bun.

The orangutan was found close to oil palm, banana and rubber plantations owned by local residents. The villagers feared the orangutan would damage their crops and so BKSDA decided, in this case, to capture and move (translocate) the orangutan, to avoid any conflict arising. Dr Dimas managed to anesthetize the orangutan. After being caught the orangutan was identified as female with an estimated weight of around 25 kg.  The next day after checking the orangutan was well and active she was released into the safety of the protected Lamandau Willdife Reserve.

Watch this clip to see how quickly the orangutan leaves the transport cage and disappears into the forest.

After the busy weekend with the translocation, Dr Dimas also spent time meeting and checking up on the young orangutans in our release camps.  Here's a clip of young Satria playing in his night-time enclosure.

Wonder what the next week will have in store?

Thank you for supporting our work.

Donate to help us keep the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and its precious orangutans and wildlife protected. Click here to donate - thank you. 

"All my days in the field are special, but on occasion something really exciting happens - a fight between two male orangutans and we were able to film it." - Ashley Leiman OBE

No sooner had our speedboat arrived at Camp Buluh when the staff came running and excitedly told us to hurry up. I knew before I reached the end of the jetty by the noise of breaking branches that something was going on in the forest ahead.

It didn’t take me long to see one huge male being pursued by another, both cheek padded. The assistants told me that they were Yoko, who was often seen around Camp Buluh, and Darwin, who hadn’t been seen for a number of years.

The orangutans were face-to-face in open combat. They would grapple one another, no doubt inflicting some injuries. This would last for a number of minutes until one would go further into the forest and there would be a lull in the confrontation.

There were times when both came down to the ground, one aggressively pursuing the other, before going back up into the trees. What was interesting was that during the conflict they would occasionally stop to rest, so obviously this activity takes a lot of energy.

Long calls and branch cracking perforated the performance. This encounter went on for over two hours before Darwin, realising Yoko had the upper hand, made his way further into the forest and was not followed.  That’s what I love being in the field, it’s never boring, it’s not every day one sees such excitement.

Become a Guardian of Lamandau today and help us protect the home of Yoko, Darwin and over 500 other critically endangered orangutans. Click here to find out more.

Thank you.

Ashley Leiman OBE, Director

Meet Aan the orangutan

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

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

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

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

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

Meet Holahonolulu the orangutan

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

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

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

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

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

Q&A with the Programme Manager of the Orangutan Foundation

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

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

When did you start working at the Orangutan Foundation?

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

What is the ideal habitat for an orangutan?

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

What is a protected forest?

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

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

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

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

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

What is causing conflict between wildlife and the human population?

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

What do you enjoy most about working with orangutans?

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

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

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

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

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

How many orangutans have you and your colleagues saved recently?

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

Are you optimistic about the future for orangutans?

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

What must happen to ensure their survival?

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

What can our supporters do to help?

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

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

Severely Malnourished Male Orangutan Rescued from Fragment of Forest in Indonesian Borneo

On Monday, 28^th August 2017, Orangutan Foundation together with the local wildlife authority, managed to rescue an orangutan, found stranded in a forested area between a village and an oil-palm plantation in Central Kalimantan. The orangutan, an adult male of around 17 years of age, only weighed 80kg - about two thirds its expected weight..

The alarm was raised by one of the villagers, who, seeing the orangutan so close by, was worried the orangutan would destroy his oil-palm plantation, and even enter his own home.

The challenging terrain made it difficult to reach the orangutan. The team had to use a boat to approach the area and then walk about 1km through swamp forest. On arrival, the orangutan was anesthetized to take it to a point of safety.

This rescue highlights the problem of habitat loss resulting in more wildlife coming into human contact, leading to human-wildlife conflict.

The orangutan will be examined by the Orangutan Foundation’s vet, and then translocated into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, a protected area on 30^th August.

To date, 15 orangutans have been rescued in 2017, some being immediately translocated and others, too young for release, will go into the Foundation’s Soft-Release Programme. Please donate to support our rescue and release programme.

Vote for orangutans

We are delighted that today's blog post is by Julia Cissewski founder of the German charity Orangutans in peril.   Please take a few seconds to vote for Julia and help win €30,000 for orangutans. On 14 July, I visited the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan. Our German charity Orang-Utans in Not e.V. (Orangutans in peril, www.orang-utans-in-not.org/en/) has been supporting the Orangutan Foundation's enrichment planting and forest restoration there for several years.

After a week of intermittent rain, we enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning and first travelled by boat from the town of Pangkalan Bun to Camp Rasak in the Reserve.

There we visited the enrichment planting area. I last went there in 2012 and now was delighted to see the progress that has been made. The little fruit trees will later serve to feed orangutans in the area.

Afterwards we went by boat to Camp Gemini to watch the feeding of released orangutans. The weather kept and it got rather hot. We thus were glad to reach the cover of the release site. At the feeding station we observed several females with their babies, a moving experience. The babies were born in the wild and show the success of the release programme.

On our way back to Pangkalan Bun we saw several Proboscis monkeys, watching us rather unimpressed from the trees on the river bank. We arrived in Pangkalan Bun when the sun was setting. It was a wonderful day and we gave our thanks to Pak Ade, the program manager, and the other Orangutan Foundation staff. They are doing such great work in Lamandau and we are very much looking forward to our future cooperation.

I suppose I should mention that I was accompanied by a film crew who were filming for the German magazine "Bild der Frau". This magazine each year awards prizes to five women running German charities. And in 2017 I am one of them. You can help us gain an additional award of 30,000€ (!) for the orangutans. This award is given to the organization that can raise most votes by October 21, 2017. Every vote counts: https://www.orang-utans-in-not.org/en/goldene-bild-der-frau Thank you very much for your support!

Julia

Two orangutans born within two months

We have seen two orangutan births in less than two months. Why is this significant and a reason to celebrate?  Orangutans are critically endangered, a recent report found that orangutan populations on Borneo have declined by 25% over the last 10 years. A shocking statistic. However, in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, orangutan numbers are increasing. Many orangutans now living in this protected forest reserve were rescued as their forest home was destroyed around them or they were orphaned because their mothers had been killed. With our supporter’s generous help we have been able to give them a second chance to live in the wild and they are thriving.

Volvo was born to rescued mother orangutan, Vania, at the end of May and our most recent newborn is Dublin (named after Dublin Zoo’s recent visit), born to ex-captive mother orangutan, Dedek.

Help us to protect this wildlife reserve and keep the orangutans and other wildlife that live here safe and free. Become a Guardian of Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Orangutan Foundation

Orangutan Foundation Welcomes New Arrival

In September 2015, Central Kalimantan was hit by major forest fires. Many orangutans needed rescuing from areas of burning forest and community land.

One such orangutan was Vania, a 29 year old female orangutan, named after a student who was doing research on orangutans in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve at the time. Vania and her 6 year old offspring (named Venty) were rescued from an oil palm plantation and released by Camp Buluh in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Both are now in good health and are still frequently seen in the area. As shared yesterday, field staff have informed us that Vania gave birth on 25th May to an infant they have named Volvo.

Vania has been seen around camp since the birth to show off her new arrival.

Welcome Volvo to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve!

Would you like to play an active part in the protection of Volvo's tropical forest home?

Become a guardian of Lamandau and help us ensure a future for orangutans, forests and people. Click here for more information.

Meet Our Soft-Release Orangutans - Part 3

In this blog entry we focus on Camp Rasak, where orangutans in the final stage of the soft-release programme before their release into the wild are monitored. The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in Indonesian Borneo is a protected reintroduction site, where rescued orangutans can be released safely.

From this Reserve we run our Soft-Release Programme for rescued orangutans too young to return to this wild. Watch this short clip to find out how this programme equips these orangutans for a life in the forest:

Reintroduction Camps

There are 5 Camps located in Lamandau:

Depending on the age and development of the orangutan they are placed into one of the camps which is best suited for their needs. Camp staff monitor all rescued orangutans.

Currently we have 10 orangutans within our soft-release programme.

Meet the orangutans being cared for at Camp Rasak…

Endut

Endut is a 3 year old male who was rescued last March, named after his rather round belly. Endut is improving his climbing skills and has become much braver in the past couple of months, but is still has a way to go in order to be ready for release.

Ketty

Daughter of Korin, a reintroduced orangutan who inhabited the forest around Camp Gemini. Korin sadly disappeared in 2013 and Ketty was found alone. Since joining the Programme Ketty has come along in leaps and bounds, or should we say, climbs and swings!

At 5 years of age,she's always displayed skills more advanced than the orangutans being cared for alongside her, which is likely a result of spending some time with her mother in her early years.

Jessica

Jessica was rescued from a local town where she was being kept as a pet in 2016. In spite of this she retained her natural instincts well and didn't take long to adapt to life in the trees. At 5 years of age, she is advanced in her progress, displaying excellent survival skills.

What Next…?

After keeping a close watch on Ketty and Jessica, staff are now confident that they have the skills required to live in the wild: nest-building, finding food, and climbing to the top of the canopy.

The Soft-Release Programme exists within the same area of forest where orangutans are released. As past experience has shown, once released orangutans are often seen in the forest around camp so we are able to continue to keep a watchful eye on them.

Following release, orangutans are monitored for two weeks so that staff can ensure they are adapting well to living independently. Once released, we hope all will go on to live fulfilling lives in the wild, away from the threat of habitat loss and human activity.

Next week we follow the release of Ketty and Jessica!

Support our Soft-Release Programme and adopt an orangutan today.

All proceeds from our Adoption Scheme go towards medical treatment, food and care of these orangutans during their time in soft-release.

The Orangutan Foundation's 5 Programmes in Indonesian Borneo

Watch this short video to learn about our 5 ongoing programmes in Indonesian Borneo:

Please help us ensure a future for orangutans, forests and people. To support our work with a donation, please click here.

Thank you.

Meet our Soft-Release Orangutans - Part 2

In this blog post we focus on Camp Buluh, where orangutans in the intermediate stage between being very young and those soon to be released fully into the wild are cared for. The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in Indonesian Borneo is a protected reintroduction site, where rescued orangutans can be released safely.

From this Reserve we run our Soft-Release Programme for rescued orangutans too young to return to this wild. Watch this short clip to find out how this programme equips these orangutans for a life in the forest:

Reintroduction Camps

There are 5 Camps located in Lamandau:

From our 5 reintroduction camps staff monitor all rescued and rehabilitated orangutans. Depending on the age and development of the orangutan they are placed into one of the camps which is best suited for their needs.

Currently we have 10 orangutans within our soft-release programme.

Meet the orangutans being cared for at Camp Buluh…

Okto

Okto is perhaps the most notorious of the orangutans currently in our care! Starring in Sky 1 and Offspring Film’s “Monkeys – An Amazing Animal Family” and the face of our Adoption Scheme; Okto is a confident yet mischievous 5 year old male.

Shifa

Shifa is a female orangutan who was rescued in September 2016 after being kept as a pet for about a year. She initially had problems with hair loss, possibly as a result of stress, but is being treated by the Foundation’s vet and has visibly improved.

Support our Soft-Release Programme and adopt Okto today.

All proceeds from our Adoption Scheme go towards medical treatment, food and care of these orangutans as they grow and develop.

Meet Our Soft-Release Orangutans - Part 1

The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in Indonesian Borneo is a protected reintroduction site, where rescued orangutans can be released safely. From this Reserve we run our Soft-Release Programme for rescued orangutans too young to return to this wild. Watch this short clip to find out how this programme equips these orangutans for a life in the forest:

Reintroduction Camps

There are 5 Camps located in Lamandau:

These camps monitor all rescued and rehabilitated orangutans. Depending on the age and development of the orangutan they are placed into one of the camps which is best suited for their needs.

Currently we have 10 orangutans within our soft-release programme.

Camp JL is where the very youngest orangutans are placed.

Meet Timtom

Timtom was just nine months old when she was rescued last January. Not surprisingly, she was not too confident at first as at this age she should still be in the care of her mother, but has now begun to show great improvement. Once cautious, she now climbs happily to the top of a tree.

Meet Mona

Mona is a female orangutan, just 2 years old. She was recently rescued in March 2017 from a family in a local village who were keeping her as a pet.  With no mother she looks to Nyunyu for company, who was rescued around the same time.

Meet Nyunyu

Nyunyu, female around 3 years old. She displays more wild behaviour than Mona, despite being kept as a pet for about 2 years. She was found tied up in a garden, but now shows her adventurous side when climbing.

Meet Boy

Boy is the most recent orangutan to join the Programme, a male aged about 3 years. He had been kept as a pet for 3 months and was given up by locals of a nearby village.

Another young orangutan is being cared for at Camp Siswoyo.

Meet Satria

Satria is a male orangutan rescued last June, around 2 and a half years old. He has now started foraging, but is still very young and has a lot to learn.

Next week we look forward to introducing you to more of our soft-release orangutans!