In November, we celebrated Orangutan Caring Week – an annual event that is recognized around the world. The week highlights the plight of the orangutan and acknowledges the issues which impact their ability to survive in the wild, such as habitat loss.
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
Orphaned infant orangutans "at home" in the forest.
“When Adib, an orphaned infant orangutan, arrived at the end of October he was afraid of climbing in the trees. Within two months he is much more confident and now seems very at home.” said Azhari Purbatrapsila, manager of the Orangutan Foundation’s Release Programme. In this blogpost, Azhari shares his observations of some of the characters in soft-release.
The Orangutan Foundation run 5 release camps within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo. Here, infant orphaned orangutans undergo a soft-release process, allowing them time to learn the skills to survive in the wild.
Adib: He can climb high to the tree top. Sometime he plays with orangutans Mona and Timtom but he mainly loves to play alone since the other orangutans are bigger and stronger than him. (Watch Adib's first climb)
Mona: Mona is making great progress. Just after she moved out from her sleeping enclosure, Mona climbed a tree and straight away started bending the branches. She made a tiny nest. Not long after the nest had broken with the branches springing back to their original position. She still doesn’t have enough strength to break the branches and make a firm nest. But still, this is a really good improvement from her!
Timtom: Like Adib, Timtom likes to play alone but she will play will Mona or Adib. She plays in the lower tree branches, even though she can climb to the top. Being cautious, she never ventures far.
Boy & Nyunyu: Boy and Nyunyu are two of the biggest and strongest of the orphaned orangutans, which explains why they are best buddies. They are very active and spend almost all their time playing together so much so that it is often difficult to get them back in at night! An encouraging sign though.
Please donate to support our work helping these orangutans return to the wild. Thank you to all our members and supporters for their ongoing support.
Meet Kotim the orangutan
It is Orangutan Awareness Week and each day we will bring you a story about the orangutans in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Thanks to your support we are protecting their forest home the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and keeping them wild and free. Kotim
Kotim was rescued in 2014. She was handed over to Orangutan Foundation after being illegally kept as pet. Sadly, we can only assume that her mother was killed.
At three-years-old Kotim was too young to be released back into the wild and so entered into the care of our Soft-Release Programme, at Camp Rasak in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo. Kotim joined another infant orphan, Torup. They became playmates and together practised their nest-building and climbing skills.
By April 2016, Kotim was deemed to have all the skills needed to survive in the forest and was successfully released. She is still occasionally seen by Orangutan Foundation staff. In December 2016, Kotim was seen with adult female orangutan Acuy and her infant, Ariel.
Support Kotim during Orangutan Awareness Week. Please donate to help us protect her tropical forest home. Keep forests standing and orangutans in the wild.
Please donate here.
Here's a video of Kotim whilst under our care in our Soft-Release Programme:
Freedom in the wild
If you want something done, ask a busy person. This expression is especially true for Orangutan Foundation Director, Ashley Leiman OBE, who has just returned from a field visit to our programmes in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. One of the highlights was a tree planting ceremony to celebrate the planting out of over 22,000 seedlings in degraded forest habitat in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. The most memorable day though involved the return to the wild of seven different species. Captured from the wild and kept as pets, these animals had been confiscated by the Wildlife Department of Central Kalimantan (BKSDA Kalteng). The day was also a chance for Ashley to meet Bapak Adib Gunawan, the new Head of Wildlife for Central Kalimantan, who was overseeing the releases.
The animals due for release included two changeable hawk eagles, a hornbill, a pangolin, a slow loris, two reticulated pythons, a sun bear and a young orangutan.
The orangutan, a handsome young male of around one-and-a-half years old, had been kept as a pet in a nearby town. He was named Adib, after the new Head of Wildlife, and has joined our Soft-Release Programme at Camp JL, in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, where he’ll learn the skills to survive in the forests.
A playful sun bear, named Paddington (also a pet), was taken to Camp Siswoyo, where Orangutan Foundation staff will care for him until he is old enough to live independently. The slow loris, being a nocturnal primate, was released after nightfall.
The changeable hawk eagles and hornbill were released from a guard post in the reserve, and Ashley opened the slide door to the crate of the pythons.
Over 3 meters in length, Ashley questioned why anyone would want to keep the snakes as a pet! We’ll post a separate blog on the pangolin, so watch this space.
Ashley pointed out that our work for these animals has only just begun. Through our habitat protection work we must ensure that the forests stay standing, so the wildlife stays in the wild.
Please support our work, donate now.
Thank you.
VIDEO - Orangutan Foundation's Rescue and Release of a Male Orangutan
We have received this footage from our field staff, of the rescue and release of an adult male orangutan, victim of habitat loss, found stranded in a narrow strip of forest between a village and oil-palm plantation.
Fantastic teamwork by everyone involved meant that this rescue was carried out safely, and the male orangutan was able to be released in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve just two days later, in an area of protected forest habitat.
Help us to protect this forest reserve and ensure a future for orangutans, forests and people. Click here for more information.
Thank you.
Video: Dramatic orangutan rescue
This video shows the challenges faced by our staff when rescuing orangutans:
On the 3rd July, our staff received reports from the Wildlife Department (BKSDA) of yet another orangutan that had been found in community land. At that stage they had no idea of the difficulty of the terrain and where or what condition they would find the orangutan in. After preparing the anesthesia, our staff set off to the rescue location.
It soon became clear this was going to be difficult. They had to cut through dense undergrowth to reach the orangutan, which was high up in a tree. Our anaesthetist had to climb up a tree to get a clear sight of the ape before firing the dart gun. The staff, ready at the bottom of the tree with a net, caught the orangutan as it fell. Our vet was waiting to assess the orangutan, who was a female of around 20 years. Sadly though, he discovered previous injuries to her back and chest, which would require treatment.
The orangutan was named Karin and on returning from the rescue location she was examined and given treatment for her wounds.
After recovering from her ordeal, Karin was taken to Camp Gemini, an orangutan release site, in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve (Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo). Once Karin’s wound has healed she will be free to live back in the wild again.
The loss of forest is causing orangutans to come into contact with humans as never before. Support the protection of Karin’s future forest home and become a Guardian of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.
Thank you.
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 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!
Momong - Sun Bear Rescue
On Thursday, 26 January 2017, Orangutan Foundation field staff responded to a call about a sun bear being kept as a pet in a local town. Upon arrival, field staff met with the owner of the sun bear, which had been named Momong, to carry out the rescue. Momong turned out to be a young female sun bear of around 2 years old. Momong had been kept as a pet for just under a year, but despite being deprived of natural sources of food, the Foundation’s vet determined that she was in reasonably healthy condition.
Momong was taken to Camp JL in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Indonesian Borneo - where after careful monitoring and assessment to check she was ready, she was released. As proven with previous translocations, sun bears can wreak havoc around camp, and Momong was no different! The following week after release Momong kept trying to return to Camp JL, damaging camp facilities in the process.
The decision was made to recapture Momong and to release her 1km away from camp to prevent her returning, and encourage Momong to integrate back into the forest where she belongs.
Field staff are pleased to report the second release has been successful.
Watch footage of Momong’s release:
You can support our Animal Rescue and Release Programme here.
Thank you.
Orangutan Foundation
(VIDEO) Rawit's Release
Two days ago the reintroduction team of the Orangutan Foundation successfully released another orangutan back into the forest of the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve where she belongs.
Found tied up in a villager's backyard just 2 weeks ago, this 5 year old female orangutan known as Rawit is now happily living back in the forest. A previously reintroduced female has taken her under her wing. Read about Rawit's story here.
We thank wildlife photographer and Orangutan Foundation supporter Ian Wood for documenting her release. For more information on Ian's work visit his website http://www.agoodplace.co.uk
Herni – another orangutan rescued and released.
We have just received a report from our reintroduction manager, Azhari, about a recently rescued orangutan.
Herni is a young female orangutan with a tremendous wild spirit. She was handed over to the Indonesian authorities by a local community, near Sampit (Indonesian Borneo), at the end of June. Herni was taken to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, an area which the Orangutan Foundation actively protect with guard posts and patrols. For three weeks Herni was looked after at Camp Siswoyo, one of six orangutan release camps, in the Reserve.
Camp staff report that she doesn’t make the tidiest nests to sleep in and sometimes she adds branches to old nests to fix them and make them stronger. As you would expect from an orangutan, she travels well through the trees rarely descending to the forest floor. On the 26th August, the Orangutan Foundation staff decided that Herni was ready for soft release. This means being monitored and followed by the camp staff from dawn to dusk for 20 days. Not as easy as it sounds!
Reports so far show that Herni is doing really well, eating the correct foods and following adult females to learn from them what foods to eat. The daily ranging that Herni is doing is between 600m and 1km. The good news is while Herni follows the other orangutans, she rarely goes down to the ground. Sometimes, the staff lost her because she likes to move in the forest canopy, just like an orangutan should, whilst the staff are having to climb over tree roots and wade through swamps. Our staff are experts in the forests and so she doesn't get lost for long.
Please consider making a donation to support our ongoing work protecting this important forest reserve and its precious inhabitants.
Thank you
Orangutan Foundation
The captive but safe orangutan; a rescue and immediate release
On September the 24th, the Orangutan Foundation staff experience yet another new situation calling for the orangutan to be rescued. Through donations from World Orangutan Day, the Orangutan Foundation (one of six charities receiving funds from the day) is now able to carry out more rescues with this contribution. The story that unfolded shows that despite urban and agricultural development, there is still local compassion for this species.
One day in mid 2013, the residents of Sukamara were burning land in the area. Burning like this is used to clear land for agriculture and is incredibly common in Indonesia. Whilst burning though some vegetation, they heard noises and saw movement. They had found a wild young female orangutan. She was weak from inhaling smoke from the burning land and the residents could not see her mother anywhere. People who came from a local farm, owned by a Mr. Suriansyah, decided to take the orangutan to the owner’s house, away from the danger of this land conversion.
The orangutan was tied to the mango tree at Mr. Suriansyah’s house and allowed to get comfortable. Feeding her bananas and papaya – healthy enough, but not what she would receive in a wild diet – he reported that he had an orangutan in the police. He knew these mammals were protected and hoped the animal would be collected by groups with authority and ability to give her the best next stage in life.
After two months, Mr. Suriansyah was still feeding the female her fruit, and whilst she was safe in her tree, she was not free. All wild species deserve to live in their natural habitat. Since the police had not responded, he finally reported to the Forestry and plantation department. That’s when the Indonesian Government’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency of Central Kalimantan (BKSDA) and the Orangutan Foundation were called to help.
So on the 24th – a Tuesday - the female orangutan, named Adela, was released from her chain and taken in safety to facilities to check her health and age with the vets of each team. Adela is now about 5 years old and was very healthy after her two months on bananas and papaya, especially considering her restricted movement. She was immediately released at the reserve protected by the Orangutan Foundation.
With each donation, more forest is protected and more orangutans able to live the natural life they - and all species – deserve. Thank you to everyone who donated on World Orangutan Day and to you for reading this. Please find out more here and follow for daily forest news here.
Here is Adela in her previous mango-tree-home...
Orangutan Adoption Diary - Brian and Rosa’s growing bond
The adoption of infant orangutan Brian by female orangutan Rosa is progressing well - they are much closer and there is more playing and jesting. Brian's holding Rosa hand more frequently and even hugging Rosa.
Brian and Rosa - © Orangutan Foundation
When tired of playing and jesting, Brian climbs and hangs about the cage, and Rosa jiggles the cage or lies about.
Brian and Rosa - interacting. © Orangutan Foundation
After Brian's contented with playing and hanging he moves close to Rosa, strokes her, then pulls Rosa's hair until it hurts her and she responsds by pulling Brian's hand, slowly and carefully. Brian then bites Rosa's hand, after which he runs and climbs over to the opposite corner. Brian repeats the same behaviour several times. It seems as though Brian is using this to make closer with his “new Mom”.
Brian heckling Rosa © Orangutan Foundation
Brian has adapted to his new environment and situation. He knows when it's feeding time and the Camp staff start preparing fruit and milk.
Feeding time © Orangutan Foundation
When Rosa and Brian are given fruit, Brian always heckles Rosa and takes her fruit. Rosa is wise and very patient and shares the fruit with Brian.
Brian and Rosa -sharing fruit. © Orangutan Foundation
They seem to have developed a very strong bond and we are planning on letting Brian and Rosa out of their cage this week.
Thank you,
Dr Fiqri (Vet of Lamandau Orangutan Release Programme).
Please support our 'Protect Me and My Tree Appeal' -to help keep the orangutans in Lamandau free.
