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Past release sites
Tanjung Puting National Park is as famous for its population of rehabilitated orangutans as it is for its wild ones. Indeed, these are the animals which most visitors to the park come to see. In total, around 200 ex-captive orangutans were released in the park, by Dr Biruté Galdikas of the Orangutan Foundation International between 1971 and 1995. In 1995, the Indonesian Government passed legislation that ex-captive orangutans should not be released into areas such as Tanjung Puting National Park where there are large, viable populations of wild orangutans.
Visitors to the park will still see some of the rehabilitated orangutans and their offspring that were released pre 1995. There are three sites in the park that provide daily feedings: Tanjung Harapan, Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey.
Present release sites
The Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve is a protected release site for orangutans that have been rehabilitated or for wild orangutans and other threatened wildlife species that have been trans-located from areas at risk for example, oil palm plantations.
Working with the Indonesian Government’s Agency for the Conservation of Natural Resources and with support from the Australian Orangutan Project, we are monitoring and protecting the orangutans that have been released into the reserve to ensure these endangered great apes remain in the wild.
In 2009, we established a veterinary health programme within the reserve. By treating in situ it reduces stress and suffering of the apes. The programme also prevents potentially fatal diseases such as parasitic worm infections. The Vet, along with the Reintroduction Manager, supervises the nutrition, weight gain and development of the apes in the reserve.
Safeguarding the future of the wildlife reserve is a priority. With key stakeholders we are working on a comprehensive programme that incorporates community awareness and sustainable livelihood initiatives, reforestation, protection with guard posts and regular patrols and stakeholder co-operative management.
More rehabilitation information...
 Orangutan Rehabilitation
Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine Facility (OCCQ)
Orangutan Rehabilitation Factsheet
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