Bursting with life - Birds

The diverse ecosystems within Tanjung Puting National Park and the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in Indonesian Borneo are truly bursting with life. Our staff are fortunate to come across a variety of interesting species as they monitor orangutans in the field, conduct research, and safeguard the forest. Some of the most eye-catching species we come across are Birds, including:

Hornbills - There are 8 species of hornbill found in Borneo, and they are perhaps the most iconic birds found in the forests of this tropical island. Hornbills are infamous for the large casques on their beaks, the most eye-catching of which is the Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buceros rhinoceros. These impressive birds have brightly coloured beaks, can have a 50-inch wingspan, and typically mate for life.

Rhinoceros Hornbill

Buceros rhinoceros

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Anthracoceros albirostris

The Black Hornbill

Anthracoceros malayanus

Crested Serpent Eagle - Spilornis cheela - These raptors are found in various forest types and can survive in areas of disturbed habitat where other birds may not. In fact it could be said that these eagles prefer forest edges, where they can hunt for a variety of prey from snakes and lizards to small mammals and fish. This adaptability helps make them such a successful raptor species and they can also be found as far as India and the Philippines.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi - By looking at them, you could be forgiven for thinking that the male and female Asian Paradise Flycatcher are birds of completely different species, such is the contrast in their appearance. Females are modest-looking with black feathers on their heads and brown bodies, whereas adult males have bright white plumage and two enormous tail streamers. It’s thought these feathers are elongated to attract a mate and can grow up to 12 inches- longer than their entire body!

Male

Female

Male

Female

Storm's Stork - Ciconia stormi - This is sadly a species in decline and thought to be the rarest of all storks. Due to the loss of habitat in this part of the world, Storm’s Storks are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List with fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild. These forests in Indonesian Borneo are a real stronghold for this vulnerable species so sightings of breeding pairs are vitally important.

Kingfishers - The easiest way for our field teams to navigate through the forest is via the network of rivers, an ideal habitat for kingfishers. The Stork-billed and Blue-eared Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis & Alcedo meninting) are the most commonly seen species in these forests. Stork-billed are perhaps the most striking as they have large red bills and an explosive alarm call which is then followed by an unusual cack-cack-cack-cack laugh!

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Pelargopsis capensis

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Pelargopsis capensis

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Alcedo meninting

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Alcedo meninting

This is just a selection of the hundreds of bird species found in this diverse tropical forest environment. By supporting our guard posts and habitat restoration programme, your help is ensuring that these important species continue to live in a haven which is protected.

White-Rumped Shama

Copsychus malabaricus

Garnet Pitta

Erythropitta granatina

Greater Coucal

Centropus sinensis

Great Egret

Ardea alba

Black-naped Monarch

Hypothymis azurea

Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler

Macronus ptilosus

Buffy Fish Owl

Ketupa ketupu

Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

Eurylaimus ochromalu

Crestless Fireback

Lophura erythrophthalma

Scarlet-rumped Trogon

Harpactes duvaucelii

Green Broadbill

Calyptomena viridis

Malaysian Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis turcosus

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.

Bursting with life - Primates

We may be the Orangutan Foundation, but our work also protects crucial forest habitat home to a variety of other ecologically significant species. It could be said that the forests we primarily operate in, Tanjung Puting National Park and the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, are truly bursting with life.

These tropical forests are found in one of the most biodiverse corners of the globe in Indonesian Borneo, where Primates make up some of the most captivating fauna. Bornean orangutans are an umbrella species helping to protect habitat for a number of these arboreal mammals, but here are some of the other primates our field team study, monitor, and observe:

Proboscis Monkey - Nasalis larvatus - Perhaps one of the most unusual species found in the forest and indeed the primate world, proboscis monkeys can only be found in the wild on the island of Borneo. It’s thought that the elongated noses of the males help to attract females, and their round bellies containing two stomachs aid the digestion of leaves that other animals cannot eat.

These endangered primates live in close social groups, often in submerged and swamp forests. This means that sometimes they must swim between trees in search of food and to help them do this, proboscis monkeys have evolved partially-webbed hands and feet, making them expert swimmers and helping them avoid predators like crocodiles in the water.

Macaques - There are two species of macaque spotted by our team; the Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), and Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) also known as Crab-Eating Macaque.

Some roam the forest independently in search of food, but the majority of macaques are found in flexible family groups. They always appear to be on the move and as such are one of the most commonly seen animals captured on our remote forest camera traps.

When it comes to their diet these primates are certainly not picky. Macaques are generally opportunistic omnivores and will feast on anything from leaves and seeds to invertebrates and eggs, it’s this versatility that makes them such a successful primate species around the world.

Langurs - These primates are also called ‘leaf monkeys’ due to their herbivorous diet. Comparatively little is known about their behaviour due to their elusive nature, but our team on occasion have spotted Silver Langur (Trachypithecus cristatus) and Red Langur (Presbytis rubicunda), also known as the Maroon Langur. It’s thought that the White Fronted Langur (Presbytis frontata) has also been caught on remote camera traps in the Belantikan region, another habitat which the Foundation help conserve.

Bornean White-Bearded Gibbon - Hylobates albibarbis - This is another species endemic to Borneo and listed as endangered due to the ongoing threat of habitat loss. Gibbons are neither monkeys or great apes, instead classified as ‘lesser apes’, but are perhaps the fastest primate when it comes to travelling through the canopy. It has been said that their long arms can swing them from branch to branch up to 34mph!

Gibbon pairs often mate for life and travel in small family groups. Each morning they will often strengthen this bond by singing a ‘duet’ which can resonate through the forest over a mile away, notifying other groups of their presence.

Western Tarsier - Cephalopachus bancanus - Also known as Horsfield’s Tarsier, these are the smallest primates found in Borneo. It’s understood that tarsiers are some of the oldest living primates, separated into 18 species which are all found in South East Asia.

Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates. Using their huge eyes to spot prey in the dark and then springing into action using their long legs, tarsiers feed on a range of nighttime creatures, primarily flying insects such as cicadas, moths, and beetles.

Bornean Slow Loris - Nycticebus borneanus - The large forward-facing eyes of the slow loris also indicate that they are a nocturnal species, perfectly adapted to hunt insects and small vertebrates in the trees.

They may look cute and cuddly, but the slow loris is the only primate known to have venom. Secreted from the brachial gland on their upper arm, it’s not fully understood why slow loris possess a bite which can be venomous. Perhaps this mysterious trait is why slow loris are regarded as the guardians of heaven in some local folklore.

Your support helps us provide a natural home to all of these primate species. Keep up to date on our work and subscribe to our monthly e-news updates to find out what other diverse wildlife species your crucial support protects.

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.

A message to our supporters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stewards of the forest

The protection and restoration of tropical forest habitat remains at the core of ensuring a future for orangutans, not to mention the thousands of other species that rely on one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems. Fortunately amidst the current climate, our guard post and habitat restoration staff are still hard at work.

By conducting regular patrols, guard posts can monitor and protect orangutan habitat.

Our guard posts continue to record wildlife sightings as they conduct routine patrols on the river and through the forests of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. This is an effective strategy to prevent illegal activities such as logging, mining and fishing from occurring within the reserve.

By planting new saplings around forest peripheries, we can restore orangutan habitat previously lost in forest fires. In particular from the large fires of 2015 which decimated vast areas of vegetation.

As well as protecting existing forest, restoring degraded areas of habitat is key to the survival of orangutans and to combat the effects of climate change. Last month from our plant nursery the habitat restoration team carefully chose 16,500 seedlings to be replanted in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. The selection process for every sapling is critical as there are a number of factors to take into account before they can be planted in the wild, and it can take many years for tree saplings to grow to a forest canopy level.

Firstly, our team ensure that each plant in the nursery is growing straight, has reached the minimum height, and has green and healthy leaves before they can be delicately transported to their planting site. It then takes time for each sapling to acclimatise to direct sunlight in the nursery. This adjustment will ensure that saplings have the best possible chance to mature into trees which one day could form part of the high forest canopy.

The nine different species chosen by our team are more fire-resistant and therefore have the best chance to regenerate forest that has been destroyed. Selecting the location for each species is also a crucial factor as the soil, water level and surrounding vegetation all influence how the saplings will develop. We will continue to monitor the progress of these saplings and hope that they can form part of the surrounding Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

While activities in many parts of the world are currently at a standstill, we are proud that our staff in the field are largely able to persevere with our ongoing conservation programmes. You can help guarantee that these vital programmes continue by participating in a fundraising activity of your choice on Sunday 26th April through the 2.6 Challenge- an event you can complete at home to help UK charities.

Alternatively, you can support our work directly by sponsoring an acre of forest or purchasing an e-gift donation towards our programmes below.

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.

Women working for a sustainable future

“Saving orangutans by protecting their tropical forest habitat, working with local communities and promoting research and education.” - This is part of Orangutan Foundation’s mission statement, and we work hard to provide a safe and sustainable future for Orangutans, Forests and People. It’s this final value, people, that can get overlooked, but local communities often rely on tropical forest environments as much as orangutans which is why we collaborate with them on all of our programmes.

Villagers practice sustainable farming techniques, such as processing ‘nipah’ fruit into brown sugar

It’s fitting that around the time of International Women’s Day, our team were working with a women’s farming association, local NGO Yayorin, and government officials to provide an educational workshop for harvesting non-timber products (above).

It was heartening for our team to observe 40 local people, the majority women, discussing and practicing a variety of farming techniques which may help create alternative sustainable livelihoods. As well as highlighting the need to reduce plastic waste, the workshop also provided the opportunity to raise further awareness of orangutans and the necessity to protect their forest habitats.

In the same week, our team also assisted with the coordination of a craft workshop where women from nearby villages could come together and learn new weaving skills. The group worked expertly to turn strips of an abundant plant known locally as ‘purun’ into durable mats which could be used at home or sold as an alternative household income.

Participants learn new mat-making techniques.

Young and old work together to refine their technique.

The finished article.

By empowering communities, especially women, to establish sustainable livelihoods; local people are not only able to generate their own natural sources of income, but are also far more likely to respect and the protect the surrounding forests and wildlife.

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.

How we safeguard orangutans outside of protected areas

Habitat loss is the single biggest threat to orangutans and their tropical forest environment. In under 40 years it’s estimated that almost 40% of Borneo’s original forest cover has been lost due to increased plantations, forest fires, mining, and logging. 80% of orangutans live outside of protected areas which means there are thousands of orangutans at risk due to their habitat being encroached upon and lost.

At the Orangutan Foundation we help safeguard protected orangutan habitats, the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and Tanjung Puting National Park, however the need to support orangutans outside of these safe havens remains paramount. We do this is by engaging with local government, private sector and communities to share knowledge about orangutans and emphasise the importance of preserving their tropical forest habitats. The Foundation holds a number of workshops and training sessions for the survival of orangutans outside of protected areas. These have included:

Biodiveristy and Socio-Economic Survey Training

There’s nothing more important than field practice. This week in collaboration with the Arcus Foundation and local NGO Yayorin, we held technical training sessions to help local people monitor orangutan populations within oil-palm concessions, logging concessions, and community lands. During the two-day course, participants practiced GPS, socio-economic assessments, and learnt survey techniques for vegetation, orangutans and other species. Using these techniques can help improve our understanding of populations and demographics in regions which are more threatened by habitat loss.

Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Workshops

The aim of these workshops is to find ways in which local communities can co-exist safely with wildlife species whilst still maintaining a sustainable livelihood. With the help of partners TOP, we hope improved knowledge about orangutans and their forest habitats will help landowners avoid human-wildlife conflict, and lead to fewer rescues and translocations of orangutans in plantations and community lands.

Fire Prevention Workshops

Fires are a continuous threat during each dry season. The Foundation takes seriously the importance of outreach to all relevant stakeholders on the dangers of starting fires which destroy orangutan and wildlife habitat.

Fire-Fighting Training

The Foundation together with the government agencies, hold fire-fighting training throughout the year. Here groups are taught fire prevention and fire-fighting techniques, using GPS to help record outbreaks of fire so that they can be extinguished more rapidly.

By engaging with local stakeholders in sustainable land management decisions, we are giving a future for orangutans outside of protected conservation areas.

Donate to the Orangutan Foundation today to help us continue this vital work.

Looking back to 2019, and forward to 2020

As we commemorate our 30th anniversary in 2020, the Orangutan Foundation reflects on our work in 2019 and thank all of our supporters for helping us give a future to orangutans, forests and people.

In early 2019, we launched our Sponsor an acre appeal to support the Orangutan Foundation’s Habitat Protection Programme. This programme provided training in SMART technology to monitor orangutan habitat to the 25 local people we employ at our 10 forest guard posts in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesian Borneo. This area covers over 500,000 acres of diverse tropical forest, home to around 5,000 orangutans.

As a result of continuing forest surveillance, in 2019 our teams recorded fewer instances of illegal activity and habitat encroachment in comparison to previous years. This is an encouraging sign for the protection of orangutan habitat, demonstrating that guard posts are an effective deterrent to illegal logging, mining and farming.

The Orangutan Foundation welcomed local participation in a number of educational workshops and events last year. Highlights included, a three-day Conservation Fun Camp, inviting university students to study at Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station, and celebrating Primate Awareness Day with local people. In addition to these community events, we also awarded three local research grants to conservationists of the future.

Our Habitat Restoration Programme continued to grow in 2019 with over 20,000 saplings planted in areas of degraded forest habitat. These saplings of fire-resistant species have been grown in purpose-built nurseries and will help establish a healthy forest habitat in the coming years. In line with our 30th anniversary, we hope to plant another 30,000 young trees in 2020, bringing the total to 100,000 since 2015.

A group of 12 dedicated volunteers embarked on a three-week trip to Indonesian Borneo last summer through Orangutan Foundation’s Volunteer Programme. In spite of ‘no skills necessary’, alongside our team they managed to totally renovate an important government building within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, and had the opportunity to observe wild orangutans and other wildlife in the forest.

A combination of particularly dry conditions, illegal hunting and slash-and-burn farming techniques, meant that in 2019 our teams were involved in fighting the highest number of fires since 2015. Without the presence of our trained firefighting staff working with government officials, larger areas of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and Tanjung Puting National Park would have succumbed to further burning and habitat loss. We also installed six large wells positioned at strategic locations surrounding critical forest habitat which will be invaluable to fight fires.

The increased number of fires last year may also have contributed to the number of orangutan rescues our team performed. From mid-August to late November alone, our rescue team worked alongside local government officials BKSDA to rescue more orangutans than in the previous couple of years. In total, nine orangutans were translocated to the safety of the protected Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.

Our orangutan soft-release programme continued to care for orphaned infant orangutans at five release sites within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Last year, our team were thrilled to release Shifa into the wild who was rescued as a two-year-old pet in 2016. Shifa excelled at learning essential forest skills, and like orphaned orangutan Panglima who had been rescued in March 2019, was released for an independent life in the wild in June. Pegi, rescued from life as a pet is our most recent newcomer and continues to acquire new skills day by day at her new forest home at Camp Buluh.

In 2019 we welcomed a two new additions to the forest. Seen above, orangutan mother Mores gave birth to baby Marsha at Camp JL in July, followed by Amina who was spotted at Camp Rasak with newborn Albie. Having recorded over 80 orangutan births since 2003, we’ve established a new population of orangutans within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and our teams look forward to welcoming more newborns in 2020.

Looking to the future, we prepare ourselves for another busy year in 2020, marking our 30th anniversary. All of our UK and Indonesian staff thank you for your support in helping to provide a future for orangutans, forests and people.