Orangutan Foundation

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Nov 02 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Orange for Orangutan Day^© 2009 - Thursday 12^th November 2009  

The Orangutan Foundation will be hosting a pub quiz at the Hobgoblin pub in Marylebone, London NW1. We will all be donning orange to celebrate Orange for Orangutan Day^© 2009.

We would love you to join us for an evening of fun plus the chance to win some great prizes and raise some money for the Foundation. A prize will be awarded for the best-dressed ORANGE person. 

The quiz starts at 7.30pm. You can buy a single ticket or bring friends and have your own team (6 people in a full team). Tickets are £15 each, £75 for a table of 6 people. Prices include a Thai finger buffet. 

For tickets and further information please contact kristina@orangutan.org.uk or call us on 020 7724 2912 

Hurry - limited spaces available! 

All money raised from the evening will go towards our ‘Protect Me and My Tree Appeal’

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Category: Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Lamdandau Vet, Orangutan Foundation Staff, Orangutans, Uncategorized | Date: Nov 02 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Brian Diary, October 27^th 2009 by Hudi WD

I am pleased to tell you that the adoption process between the female Bornean orangutan, Rosa and the infant orangutan, Brian is going very well.

Brian was confiscated from an oil palm plantation and was taken to the Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve where he was introduced to adult female orangutan Rosa (see post A Wild Life). Rosa immediately took to Brian, but Brian was a little bit nervous with the whole process.

Now Brian is looking healthy, really cool and smart! He is very active to move and play inside the adoption cage (Rosa and Brian are in cage just temporarily to help the adoption process).

Some times Brian is swinging in the cage and sometimes he reaches to Rosa if he needs attention from her.

Tigor (the Lamandau Orangutan Reintroduction Manager) said Brian has the real “wild instinct” and he will grow to be a leader. Brian has started to become closer to Rosa and this was shown when Utang (staff from Camp Siswoyo) tried to hold Rosa’s hand, Brian moved and tried to pull Rosa’s hand away. 

He has also started to imitate Rosa’s behaviour. He is very smart and really funny when he moved and copied just like Rosa did.

Dr Fiqri (the Lamandau Orangutan Reintroduction Vet) said the adoption process was in good progress and in approximately 10 to 15 days he hopes Rosa and Brian will be returned to Camp Gemini and living free out of the cage, we hope it will be done as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Hudi WD

Programme Co-ordinator -Orangutan Foundation

Tags: Borneo, forests, Orangutans, vet, Wildlife

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Category: Other wildlife, Pondok Ambung Research Station, Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP), Uncategorized | Date: Oct 29 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

The Orangutan Foundation is proud to support Indonesian students conducting research at Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. We want to encourage and help young Indonesian scientists and researchers.  Yusi (at the front) and Harri (in the middle) conduting their research in Tanjung Puting National Park. Photograph by Brian MatthewsIn 2009, we provided two grants, one to Yusi Indriani for her research into the diversity of butterfly species around Pondok Ambung and one to Harri Purnomo for his research into the diversity of bird species. The students spent two months at Pondok Ambung conducting their research. Yusi Indriani (in the middle) presenting her research results to Ashley Leiman (left), the Orangutan Foundation Director, Rene Bonke (right), a German Tomistoma researcher and Hudi DW (just left of centre), the Orangutan Foundation Programme Coordinator in Orangutan Foundation Pangkalan Bun office.Yusi recorded over 80 butterfly species. Orangutan FoundationI hope to bring you more news about Pondok Ambung and its amazing wildlife soon.Thank you,Hudi W.D.Orangutan Foundation Programme Co-ordinator

Tags: birds, Borneo, butterlies, Orangutan Foundation, research

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Category: Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Local Communities, Uncategorized, Yayorin | Date: Oct 22 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

From the 17^th to 24^th October 2009, our EC-Lamandau Programme, together with the Environment Office of Sukamara (town on the Western side of Lamandau reserve), has been participating in the Sukamara Fair 2009.

Our EC-Lamandau exhibition booth really stood out. It was a cheerful display with a drawing and coloring competition for children from the ages of 5 to 11 years old. 

Children joining in at the EC-Lamandau stand at the Sukamara Fair

We had an enthusiastic response when the orangutan and deer mascots suddenly arrived. Both mascots told stories about their life in the forest and a lively conversation arose between the mascots and the visitors, including kids! At least 600 stickers and 200 Sumpitan bulletins (local magazine published by Yayorin) were distributed to exhibition visitors and for three evenings, films on conservation education were screened.

The progamme, also called the Lamandau Ecosystem Conservation Partnership (LECP) is funded by the European Commission to maintain functioning tropical forest ecosystems in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, which support sustainable rural development. The Partnership comprises the Conservation of Nature Resources Agency of Central Borneo (BKSDA), Yayorin and the Orangutan Foundation. 

 Leaves of Hope writen by exhibition visitors

The Head of Sukamara Regency, Ahmad Dirman listened to a brief explanation about our forest protection and community outreach work that has been implemented by Orangutan Foundation and Yayorin. He also wrote on a ‘leaf of hope’ which was hung on a branch in the exhibition.

 Ahmad Dirman encouraged the people of Sukamara to support any institutions that work on forest and environment conservation. He proudly accepted a framed orangutan photo (by Brian Matthews who was awarded highly commended in BBC wildlife photographer of the year 2009) brought from London by Ashley Leiman, the Orangutan Foundation Director. 

Thank you for your interest,

Astri - Liaison Officer

Tags: BBC Wildlife Photographer, Borneo, forests, Orangutans

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Oct 21 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Ashley Leiman, the Orangutan Foundation Director, Brian Matthews (wildlife photographers) and Eko Novi from the Central Kalimantan Agency for Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA Kalimantan Tengah) were all present for the release of a Malaysian sun bear and a young orangutan into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve at the end of August 2009.

Ashley Leiman and Eko Novi (BSKDA) pull the rope for Bruno’s cage door. Orangutan Foundation©

The sun bear was named “Bruno” and he had been confiscated by BKSDA from a police offical. After the cage was opened Bruno left cautiously.

 Bruno out of his cage. Orangutan Foundation©

He started clawing at a dead log but then suddenly he charged at the onlookers.  Ashley ran staright into the river. Brian Matthews slid down the river bank (equipment and all) and everyone else jumped into the nearest boat! After a few hours though Bruno had disappeared into the forest. Wild once again.

Orangutan Foundation© 

Young orangutan Brian (named after the photographer) had been confiscated from a oil palm plantation. 

 Tigor Nainggolan, Lamandau Orangutan Reintroduction Programme Manager, with orangutan Brian.Orangutan Foundation©

At Camp Gemini, Brian was introduced to female orangutan Rosa in hope she would adopt him. Rosa immediately took to Brian, but Brian was a little bit nervous with the whole process.

The latest information from Dr. Fiqri (the vet of Lamandau Orangutan Reintroduction Programme) is that Brian and Rosa were moved by Dr Fiqri and camp staff to Camp Siswoyo for monitoring during the adoption process. Brian has now adapted to his new environment, climbing trees and playing with other orangutans, whilst all the time being watched and followed by Rosa.

Ashley Leiman enjoying the beautiful forests at Camp Gemini in Lamandau reserve. Orangutan Foundation© 

Ashley Leiman was very appreciative of the work of the Central Kalimantan Agency for Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA Kalimantan Tengah), and we hope that more orangutans and other wild animals, ex-captive and translocated, can be release in the reserve in the future. Orangutan Foundation already has six release camps operated by 35 Orangutan Foundation Staff.

We will keep you updated about Brian and Rosa. Thank you Matthew K, Brigitta S and Tal B for your ongoing support of our work. 

Regards,

Hudi Dewe - Programme Coordinator

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Category: Forest Fires, Uncategorized | Date: Oct 08 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Dr Suwido Limin sent this email today with photos - we hope the rain continues to fall. Last week Orangutan Foundation sent out £5,260 to CIMTROP (Centre for International Co-operation in Management of Tropical Peatland) to support their ongoing efforts.  

Dear Jack, 

Fire situation particularly in Kalampangan is the worst during the el Niño this time.  

The TSA KALTENG team does work since 8 Aug 2009 to overcome the fires. In the period 18 to 27 September 2009, a fire broke out in Kalampangan is extremely worse and caused all of our reforestation areas and one tower burned down. This condition is very bad for us, and I personally felt very shocked, as if we were not able to handle it well. The entire team members were trying to extinguish the flames maximum. But due to limited manpower and people involved slightly, that we unable to fight the widespread fires.

Images: forest fires in Kalampangan, Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo CIMTROP©

In Kalampangan is very difficult to enter the forest areas due to the thick smoke and haze. The entrance access to the forest inside has been damaged, so two teams tried to enter through the canal using a wooden boat and the other team went through the Sabangau river by boat and then walking around 2 hours to reach the area. This is really hard work and high risk.  

Fire fighter Kalampangan, Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo CIMTROP©

Meanwhile, fires in the Sabangau could be stopped by Patrol Unit Team and some of TSA member. Nevertheless most of people don’t care and unaware with this disaster, probably caused they think that the forest/land burned is not their own personally so they do not feel loss.  There is only 1 tower that can be secured, while 2 base camps which founded from Helsinki and Hokkaido Univ, both have been burned. Until now (8 Oct 2009) some of team members had not returned from the forest inside (in Kalampangan area), they are still working extinguishes the fire at some point because the fire occurred at the bottom layer of soil (ground fire).

Kalampangan, Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo CIMTROP©

Since 4 days ago (2 Oct 2009) conditions in Central Kalimantan, Palangka Raya in particular, Kalampangan and Sabangau having occurred several times a heavy rain. This is very helpful, and the condition getting better. Hope that these good conditions continue, so that our environmental damage can be reduced. On behalf of Cimtrop and whole of members of the TSA KALTENG, I’m very grateful for the infinite care and support from various parties who have helped us financially. Forest and land is ours and for the life of our generations in the future.  

Best wishes,

Suwido H. Limin 

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Category: Local Communities, Oil Palm Plantations, Sumatran Orangutans, Uncategorized | Date: Oct 02 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Please follow this link to view a short piece on the Sumatran orangutans, with a focus on the Tripa Swamps, Aceh, Sumatra that appeared in Times.com.

http://www.time.com/time/audioslide/0,32187,1926657,00.html

Tags: images, oil palm, photos, sumatran orangutan, Tripa

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Category: Forest Fires, Uncategorized | Date: Sep 24 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Fires in Sabangau -CIMTROP© Images should not be used without permission 

We have just received the following communications from Professor Jack Rieley, a world expert on tropical peatlands, about the fire situation in Sabangau, which has worsened over the last few days. To help support the efforts of CIMTROP (Centre for International Cooperation in the Management of Tropical Peatland) the organisation on the ground tackling the fires, please use our general donation button and leave a comment stating your donation is for CIMTROP/Sabangau. 

Thank you for your support,

Orangutan Foundation

An SMS message from Dr Suwido Limin, director of CIMTROP, sent earlier today (24^th Sept) from inside the major fire area in the upper Sabangau

  “Big fire started from our research transect, spread across middle of Taruna canal and trans Kalimantan highway up to dams 3&4. Fire speed is around 1 km per hour supported by strong wind all day. Now I am working at night with my team. The tree regeneration plot expected all burned but cannot see yet.” 

Above and below -with limited resources CIMTROP tackle the fires. CIMTROP© Images should not be used without permission

This was followed by another SMS from Dr Suwido Limin.

“Now midnight. We are operating 4 pumps. I am manning one machine with Agung. I will work until morning but very tired.“  

Training - CIMTROP© Images should not be used without permission

Email from Dr Suwido Limin sent to Jack Rieley (22^nd Sept).

 ‘I have just come from Kalampangan. On this afternoon, we started to implement a new method. The fires become worst again!  In Taruna and Kalampangan fires started on the afternoon of 20^th of September. Our team are still trying as much as possible to secure and save this area, but the fires spread very fast and the wind is moving rapidly so that we are being overwhelmed. Our team is working very hard, all day and night and one person was injured. We tried to secure two towers and several research equipments. Some areas of our reforestation project have been burned (eventuality).  I’m personally indeed truly sad with the worst situation. All of the TSA (fire-fighting team) power is limited and we are hardly able to extinguish the fires at this location. Neither can we enter and check inside the area (using the tower) because the road along the canal was burned and created many holes of embers.’   

TSA Training CIMTROP© Images should not be used without permission

Email from Dr Jyrki Jauhiainen (22^nd Sept), a research scientist at the University of Helsink, who was in the Sabangau area until a few days ago. 

‘Arrived back to Finland yesterday afternoon. Things may be really bad in our peat research sites now. Haze was bad until last Wednesday, but we succeeded to get our sampling done & gas monitoring sites established. Wednesday evening there was heavy rain and that cleared air and suppressed many of the surface fires. Things seemed to be under control again despite some wind breeze on Friday & Saturday morning. We left from Palangka Raya (PKY) on Saturday as the sky was still clear (probably that was the last Garuda flight for some time).  SMS messages from PKY have been sad: gas monitoring plot & equipment in Block-B Berengbenkel lost, Kalampangan open area plot lost, Japanese open area minitower likely lost, Suwido worried about fate of tall Japanese towers and base camp, Taruna village evacuated, Siemenpuu area likely lost, many firemen in hospital due to respiratory problems… Many of the above mentioned areas cannot be accessed due to thick smoke and now health of people is more important. Suwido must be quite depressed and tired.’ 

Please consider donating to help CIMTROP tackle these fires.

Tags: Borneo, Forest Fires, Indonesia, Orangutans, Sabangau

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 17 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Chris Smith is a life member of the Orangutan Foundation and he always pushes himself to the extreme to raise money for us, one year he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. But this year’s challenge, the Marathon des Sable (MdS), a seven day/151 mile endurance race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, must have been the hardest yet. The event took place in March but between Chris and ourselves it’s taken a while to get this post together! Thank you so much Chris for putting your poor body through such an endurance to raise almost £4,000 for us! We thoroughly appreciate your efforts and hope your feet are now better!

MdS blow by blow - by Chris Smith

‘Arrived on Thursday 26th March and went to our hotel in Ouarzazate. Next day travelled through the Atlas Mountains and into the desert (about six hours driving). Within an hour of leaving it started raining heavily and never stopped for the whole journey. Needles to say this took us all by surprise and caused a few issues for the journey. The coach stopped at the end of the road and we transferred to army trucks for the final 15km drive to the desert camp. Everyone was nervous of their kit getting wet as nothing was designed for rain!

Day 1 -The Dunes

We arrived at the camp which was a disaster with most of it heavily flooded. I was in flip flops in mud above my ankles. We found one of the few dry tents and got settled in. After going for dinner we were told to eat up quickly as we were all being evacuated to a local town and hotel. We made another body crunching journey in the back of the army trucks to the town and checked into some random hotel who had gone from having six tourists to 206 guests in an hour!

Saturday we were told by the organizers that they were unsure if the event would go ahead as the camp and equipment was badly damaged and the rain was still pouring down. We all sat miserably around the hotel with nothing to do. Sunday arrived, the day we expected to start the race and the rain stopped. We were told that we were all being transferred to another hotel for the administration formalities (medical and kit checks) and the event was starting on at a changed starting location. We went and did all the formalities, thankfully they were happy with my medical, ECG and equipment and I was through the process quickly. We then had another day of sitting around waiting to hear what was happening. Later that afternoon the race director informed us the event was going ahead but it would have to change each day as many areas of the course were impassible due to flash rivers having formed. The event would be reduced from seven to five days with four stages. There was uproar that the distance was being cut. They told us it would be difficult to maintain the 150 mile distance but they would see what could be done. I think they were also worried about the event loosing its reputation if it was cut too much.

On the Monday we were driving out into the desert and the starting line placed about 2km before a huge range of dunes, Africa’s second largest after Namibia we were told. Off we went running all the way to the dunes and then very quickly the reality kicked in just how hard the event would be. The weight of the pack, the soft sand and size of the dunes made it impossible to keep a quick pace and zapped your energy. The first day ended up being 20 miles with 10 miles of this being dunes. The temperature was a pleasant 28 degrees. I finished about mid pack and felt OK. My shoulders were badly swollen due to the pack and my feet were a little sore but otherwise I felt happy with the situation. I found my tent which we had organized before the start and was pleased to find I was third home of our tent of seven. I settled in the the rest of the day making some food and lazing about. I didn’t sleep well at all, the night was really cold and the wind went straight through the tent which was open at both ends. I wished I had a better sleeping bag and more clothing.

Day two was to be a circular route back to the same camp. We were woken at 6 am and told the event would start at 9 am and would be 23 miles with about 6 miles of dunes. The organizers informed us that due to the backlash to the race distance being shortened they were seeking to make the terrain tougher than normal, one part of this was the inclusion of dunes in each day. We started lively enough until we hit some rocky assent which spread the field and took the sting out of my lively legs and rested feet! My aim was to just keep moving as quickly as I could and just minimize the wasted time involved in following people of the assent parts and at checkpoints. We entered a field of dunes just as the the heat of the day kicked in, it was about 34 degrees today. There was a large stretch from CP1 to CP2 of flat rocky terrain and sand before we had more assent. The final leg back to camp involved flat ground with boulders which played havoc with your feet and ankles so I was actually quite relieved to get into the dunes which finished the day. I crossed the line much more tired today and was pleased the day was over. I headed to the tent and assessed the damage to the feet and shoulders. Things were not too bad but my body was starting to hurt and it was time for pain killers in a decent quantity. I cooked my dinner and settled and rested up having a laugh with the guys in the tent. Soon after settling down to sleep I felt sick and headed out of the tent to spend what was to be a long night being sick until the early hours of the morning watching the sun come up sat against the tent pole as the camp slept.

A mixture of painkillers and the dehydrated food packs had ruined my stomach. At 6 am the Moroccan camp helpers arrived to take the tents down and our group sat preparing breakfast and for the day’s stage. I felt terrible and I could see them all looking at me thinking I was done for!!

To top things off the organizers came round the camp informing us that today’s leg was to be 57 miles (91km). I quickly realized this was to me the worst day of my life so far. I got my kit together, missing breakfast and just made sure I had plenty of water and salt. We started at 9:30am and had a nice flat section to the first check point. I got some anti-sickness tablets from the doctors and carried on. I was miserable and dreadful company for my mate who was starting to suffer badly with his feet. We pushed the pace on as best we could to CP2 going through a sandstorm on an open part of this stage. We went straight through CP 2 and CP3 trying as best we could to keep moving and avoid the temptation to rest or sort our feet out that were really starting to suffer. At CP4 my mate (Dan) was in a bad way and we sat for a while to rest. I was talking to him and he was making no sense. I called a doctor over, who suggested he was dehydrated. Dan decided to rest for longer so I continued on my own. Now the stage changed for the worse. I still had 27 miles to do and ahead of me lay miles of dunes and a mountain to ascend and descend. These were the biggest dunes yet and seemed almost vertical in some parts. I felt knackered and tried to switch off and keep plodding on. I was dark now and trying to find a good route was impossible I took a bearing and plodded on alone listening to my mp3 I had taken for any low points. A couple of flares went off in the dune section from people who had got lost or given up.

I walked though CP 5 and CP6 just taking my water and keeping moving. I had eaten nothing all day and felt exhausted and like I could sleep standing up. I just kept taking my water, salt and lots of caffeine which made me piss like a camel! I made it back to the camp at 5:30am the next morning and stumbled to my tent. I was third back to our tent and really pleased with how well I had done in light of my condition. All the guys made it back to the tent including Dan. I was fed up as my body hurt so much that I could not sleep and I was too frightened to take any more pain killers. You have what is left of this day to rest so I just lazed about and had a few bits to eat. I binned the rest of my dehydrated food packs which made me feel sick just thinking about eating. My feet were in a mess and I patched them up as best I could.

We labeled the camp ‘The Death Camp’ as it looked like a POW camp with people being sick and suffering diarrhea, hobbling and groaning.

Final day, we were woken by the Moroccan guys again and we pulled ourselves together for the day ahead. One last pack of the rucksack and breakfast. I managed to beg some snacks to replace my dehydrated packs and thankfully managed to eat it and keep it down. Today was a marathon leg with some rocky assent, dunes and river crossing. My feet were in agony at the start and it took a good hour before I got used to the pain. Dan and I kept together and we pushed on a best we could trying to keep moving until the energy ran out. I managed until CP3 before the fatigue kicked in and I felt exhausted, I have never felt as tired in my life and it took everything I had to keep going. There was a long climb after the last CP and I kept hoping that the end would be over the next hill. After about the forth hill it was and there it was in the distance. It was amazing how seeing the finish line brought me round and Dan and I lit up our fat Cuban cigars in the last stretch to smoke across the line. We cross it together and got our hug and medal from Patrick, the race director. After a few pictures I headed straight to the doctors tent to get my feet sorted.

Chris (left) and Dan at the finishing Line

We went to our tents for a final night in camp before leaving the next day back to civilization. I finished 500th of 870 starters. Everyone in our tent finished as well. I think about 70 dropped out this year which was mainly due to illness with the odd few getting lost on the long day.’

Chris’ feet after medical attention!

Tags: fundraising, marathon, Marathon Des Sable, Orangutans

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Category: Forest Fires, Orangutans, Uncategorized | Date: Aug 26 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

The link below has been sent to us by Dr Suwido Limin, Director of CIMTROP (Centre for International Co-operation in Management of Tropical Peatland). It is a short video on YouTube showing footage of the fires in Kalampangan, Sebangau Forest.  It highlights just how dangerous CIMTROP’s work is.

A huge thank you to Care For The Wild International for donating £3,600 through Orangutan Foundation to CIMTROP and to Orangutan Aid for donating £150. Thank you to our members, who have been very generous in donating to CIMTROP through Orangutan Foundation. Thank you David B for your donation through this blog.

If anyone is thinking of donating through Wildlife Direct please leave a comment stating your donation is for the Sebangau Fires.

Tags: Borneo, Forest Fires, Orangutans, Sebangau

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