April 2018 – Orangutan Foundation International

Enrichment, Fun for All the Animals

At the Orangutan Foundation International’s (OFI) Care Center in Indonesian Borneo where approximately 300 wild born ex-captive orangutans reside, it is a familiar sight to see Ibu Mariyanti and her enrichment team, going to and from facility to facility. With bright blue bags brimming with various items slung over their shoulders, the team members bring… Continue reading Enrichment, Fun for All the Animals

Orangutan of the Month for July, 2018: Kuba

Everybody remembers their first house. Dreams are cast, plans are made and pennies are gathered until the jubilant day the homeowner wakes up in their new bed. Given that orangutans share so much in common with humans, they may look on their first nest with a similar sense of pride. One infant orangutan in OFI’s… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for July, 2018: Kuba

Remembering Mark Schell

With appreciation and gratitude for his warmth toward the animal kingdom, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) remembers Mark Schell. Mark had a deep passion for animals, identifying with their innocence and empathizing with those who were abused. He came from an abusive household, yet went on to be a successful businessman and investor after spending some… Continue reading Remembering Mark Schell

Captive Orangutan Jono Goes Home

Captive Orangutan Jono Goes Home after 6 years in holding cage – Orangutan & Sun Bear Rescue On Monday, April 23rd, the adult male orangutan “Jono” who was featured on ABC’s Foreign Correspondent episode “The Baby Trade” and a young male sun bear “Buddy” arrived in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) in Indonesian Borneo.… Continue reading Captive Orangutan Jono Goes Home

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 24311 [post_author] => 10287 [post_date] => 2018-04-26 09:48:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-04-26 16:48:08 [post_content] =>

Captive Orangutan Jono Goes Home after 6 years in holding cage – Orangutan & Sun Bear Rescue

On Monday, April 23rd, the adult male orangutan “Jono” who was featured on ABC's Foreign Correspondent episode “The Baby Trade” and a young male sun bear “Buddy” arrived in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) in Indonesian Borneo. Their lives, to date, have been marked by deprivation. Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) Founder and President, Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas, OFI veterinarian, Dr. Ketut, and accompanying OFI staff were met at the Jakarta airport by Forestry officials, ready to assist in the transfer of the new “guests” to Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The two animals would find a new start at OFI’s Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine in Kalimantan Tengah.

Jono, now approximately seventeen, was discovered “by mistake” in Kumon, south of Jakarta. Femke Den Haas, the cofounder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) explained that JAAN had been on a call to see about other animals, but “accidentally Jono was seen at the owner’s house!” Kept as a pet since he was a baby, he was at this time a subadult orangutan. As it is illegal to keep an orangutan as a pet, attempts were made to confiscate Jono. Two weeks after this initial discovery, Jono escaped.

“The owner immediately panicked and called JAAN. The deal we made was that if we found him, we would keep him,” Den Haas explained. Jono was found roaming the streets of Jakarta and then taken to a government wildlife rescue station for confiscated animals. He was placed in a cage no bigger than a transport cage, and kept there for six years, without sunlight or access to drinking water, and little to engage or stimulate him.

In 2017, Jono’s living conditions were shown to the world by the Australian Broadcasting Corportaion (ABC News), causing a groundswell of sympathy and support to improve his life. Working with Indonesia’s forestry department, JAAN took this as an opportunity to complete a health check and DNA evaluation for Jono, revealing he was from Indonesian Borneo. The plan was made to send Jono home to OFI’s Orangutan Care Center.

Dr. Galdikas has confidence in Jono’s future return to the wild. “He is young…he has time,” she told ABC News, “The Indonesian government and JAAN have to be also recognized for their work. This was a cooperative process; that is the beauty of it.”

On the same day of Jono’s departure for Kalimantan, OFI received Buddy, a Malayan sun bear who had been found mutilated, with claws removed. Just a year old, the cub was discovered in August of 2017. Soon, forest trips and daily foraging will be a regular part of Buddy’s routine at the Care Center. But due to his physical handicaps, he will be a permanent resident under OFI’s care, with plans to build a forest enclosure mirroring a life in the wild.

Once at the Care Center, both Jono and Buddy needed little encouragement to explore their new enclosures. As the transport cage doors opened, Jono swept into the space with a blast of energy. He handled branches for the first time in years. He stretched his mighty arms on the ropes, and appeared to marvel at the height of his enclosure. The specialized enclosures are equipped with enrichment equipment for Jono to climb and swing from, encouraging natural behavior. With their newfound homes offering sunlight, food, water, and specialized care, Jono and Buddy begin the next chapter of their journey with the loving support of OFI staff and well-wishers from around the world.

[gallery type='flickr' photoset_id='72157693268813912' layout='circle' count='20' more='Show More']

Share this story

[post_title] => Captive Orangutan Jono Goes Home [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => jono-goes-home [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-10-07 04:54:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-10-07 11:54:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://orangutan.org/?p=24311 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 2 [filter] => raw )