Orangutan of the Month for May 2017: Mara
Each orphaned infant orangutan at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) copes with the traumatic loss of their mother in his/her own way. But the most common behaviors we…
Thank You to the 2016 OFI Construction Teams!
In July and August 2016, OFI volunteers spent three weeks walking over 100 kilometers apiece through forest trails riddled with roots, rivers, swamps, and huge fallen trees, collectively carrying 350…
Finding Resilience in the Face of Crisis
We had been driving for hours through palm oil plantations, desperately seeking out patches of protected rainforest we had been told existed but somehow could not find. At top speeds…
Cute Faces, Dark Realities (Part 2)
The Threat of Illegal Capture Most people who read this website are probably aware of how dire the situation facing wild gibbons like Auri and other primates is, but I’ll…
Orangutan of the Month: Daring Dominique
When I am with the infant and juvenile male orangutans at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ), I sometimes picture what they will look like when they are fully…
Cute Faces, Dark Realities (Part 1)
Look at these photos of infant orangutans. What are the first thoughts that come into your head? My guess is that your reaction is something like, “So cute!” or “I…
Montana
Orangutan of the Month: Mighty Montana
Mighty Montana The Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Borneo is a temporary home to hundreds of young orphaned orangutans building up the skills and confidence they need to…
Return to Childhood Wonder
A volunteer’s first trip to Camp Leakey I was in the second grade when I learned that all of our fellow great apes were endangered, and I could still point…
Jade on the morning of her release.
A Second Chance at a Wild Life
A tangible sense of excitement sets in at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in the days leading up to orangutans being permanently released back into the wild. OCCQ…
Orangutan of the Month: Satria, transformed
I cannot believe how much Satria has changed in the time that I have known him. His expressive face and hesitant curiosity made him stand out from the start. He…
