Orangutan Foundation

Category: Belantikan Conservation Programme, Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Lamdandau Vet, Oil Palm Plantations, Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine, Orangutans | Date: Nov 19 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

The translocation of the young female orangutan (we rescued her last week from an oil palm plantation) to the Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve is planned for this week. The young orangutan was named “Memes” by Tigor, Orangutan Reintroduction Manager.  Dr Fiqri, our vet, has said Memes is healthy and clear from worms and can leave the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine facility for the Lamandau reserve.

Hopefully we’ll have more news from Hudi on his return from the stakeholder meetings in the Belantikan Hulu region. 

Thanks for your recent comments Theresa, Amy and Wanda (very sorry to hear about your dog Wanda but glad we could bring you some good news).

Thanks for all your support,

Cathy - Orangutan Foundation

 Please support our ‘Protect Me and My Tree Appeal’

Tags: Borneo, Endangered, Orangutans, vet, Wildlife

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Category: Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Lamdandau Vet, Orangutan Foundation Staff, Orangutans, Rehabilitation | Date: Nov 16 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

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.

Tags: adoption, Borneo, orangutan, release, wild

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Nov 12 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Happy Orange for Orangutan Day! Here’s a snapshot of what’s been going on in aid of our orange cousins! 

Orangutan Foundation office, Elly, volunteer Peter (in wig), Ashley and Kristina  going orange! 

Today - watch the TV game show, Countdown,  on Channel 4 - Rachel Riley the show host’s assistant is wearing orange to raise awareness about orangutans!

Rachel Riley -going orange!

Le Pain Quotidien are supporting us once agin by having collections throughout their London stores and all staff are wearing orangutan stickers!

Crussh juice bars are donating 50p from every freshly squeezed orange juice.

G-wiz - on it way to Cambridge

 G-wiz and its larger taxi friend in Cambridge -both raising awareness about orangutans.

G-wiz, the electric car lent us a bright orange car last weekend. Trevor Wright one our amazing ambassadors spent his weekend in Cambridge raising funds and awareness for orangutans and their rainforest home.

National Geographic Kids magazine and the National Geographic store helped us to celebrate Orangutan Awareness Week with an  children’s orangutan activity day and a poetry competition.  Charlotte Uhlenbroek judged the competition and Anthony Browne, the Children’s Laureate, came along on Sunday 8th to award the prizes and talk to the participants.

Read the winning poems  

Thank you Bonnie D and Nicole D for your donations this week. All money raised will towards our Protect Me and My Tree Appeal - please support us!

Tags: Awareness, Borneo, orange, orangutan, Orangutans

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Category: Forest Fires, Logging, Pondok Ambung Research Station, Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP) | Date: Nov 06 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

During September (dry season) the Sekonyer river, which flows through Tanjung Puting National Park (Central Kalimantan Indonesian Borneo) was very low. We are also noticing that the low tides, year on year, are getting worse. Some people believe the root cause of the low tide are illegal logging and illegal mining. 

Tanjung Puting National Park. Photo by Fajar Dewanto, Orangutan Foundation International 

When fire fighters from Tanjung Puting National Park (BTNTP), Central Kalimantan Agency for Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA Kalteng), Orangutan Foundation, Orangutan Foundation International, Friends of National Park Foundation tried to damped the forest fires in park the extreme low tide prevented the speed boat from getting through.

Tanjung Puting National Park. Photo by Fajar Dewanto, Orangutan Foundation International

Water level on the jetty of Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station. Photo by Devis, Orangutan Foundation

This is a worrying trend. Thankfully, October has had rain reducing the fire risk.

Thank you,

Hudi Dewe

Programme Co-ordinator Orangutan Foundation

Tags: Borneo, illegal logging, low tide, mining, Rainforest, water

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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: Orangutan Foundation Staff, Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP) | Date: Oct 28 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

During the Steppes Discovery study tours (August and September 2009), Ashley Leiman, the Orangutan Foundation Director, played a joke with the “strange fruit” of Tanjung Puting (Indonesian Borneo) forest!The outside of the fruit looks very strong and hard. Ashley asked “who can break it with just your thumb?” The study tour participants tried to push their thumb into the fruit with all their power and then…Puffff….the fruit suddenly explodes over them.Exploding fruit - a study tour participant falls for the trick as the inside of the fruit explodes over his face! Photo by Orangutan Foundation.Greetings and huge thanks to all of the study tour participants from Orangutan Foundation Pangkalan Bun office, your support and donations are very helpful for orangutan and its habitat conservation and also for the local community.Regards,Hudi WD(Orangutan Foundation Programme Co-ordinator)

Tags: Borneo, trips, visits, Wildlife

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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: 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: Forest Fires, Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Orangutan Foundation Staff, Orangutans | Date: Sep 10 2009 | By: orangutanfoundation

Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, where our main programmes are based still remains extremely dry and fires pose a real threat to key orangutan populations. What this posts shows, is that if we have the resources to fight these fires they can be put out and controlled.

June sent through this news today…

‘There are fires in Tanjung Puting National Park and Orangutan Foundation are assiting the National Park authorities with logistical and transportation costs. Thankfully the fires that we were battling in Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve have been sucessfully put out. But it’s raining ash right now here in Pangkalan Bun, I kid you not. Haze is very bad.’

Professor Jack Rieley, a world expert on tropical peatlands from Nottingham University, also sent through this information he received from the field about the fires in Sebangau Forests.

Palangkaraya’s airport is closed and all the hospitals are full. Schools are closed and the fires and the smoke are getting worst. Fortunately Dr Suwido Limin, of CIMTROP, reported this morning that the research area in Sebangau is safe from fire, as Suwido’s team have been sucessful in their operations to protect from fire. They are working still to install water pumps in another three locations.

Tags: Borneo, Fires, Indonesia, Orangutans

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