Author: Rowan Klaassen

In Memoriam: Hangki

Born (estimated) 1993 – Died January 11th, 2011 Hangki was a beautiful and extraordinary orangutan. Her calm and gentle demeanor and her soft voice captured the hearts and minds of many people and made her much loved among the OCCQ staff and volunteers. Hangki was paralyzed from the waist down. Despite her severe disability, this… Continue reading In Memoriam: Hangki

Orangutan of the Month: Krista

Every morning at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine, a parade of orangutans moves from their night enclosures out into the 80 hectare forest owned by OFI. Here, the orangutans spend their days outside, ranging freely in the swamp forest. Every day the forest is buzzing with activity as the orangutans climb up into the… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Krista

New Arrivals: Small Ape and Bear

Although the main purpose of OFI’s Orangutan Care Center & Quarantine (OCCQ) in Pasir Panjang is to rehabilitate and care for orphan orangutans, there are a surprising number of animals that bear no resemblance to our red-haired primate cousins. Clearly, it is not only orangutans that are falling victim to the ongoing forest destruction and… Continue reading New Arrivals: Small Ape and Bear

An Unusual Family at the Care Center

Protecting large areas of orangutan habitat is an incredibly difficult task. Even after an area has been designated a national park, or purchased privately for the sake of conservation, an endless amount of humanpower and resources are continuously spent to keep illegal loggers, miners, and poachers out of the forest. However, by hiring rangers to… Continue reading An Unusual Family at the Care Center

OFI’s Forest Protection Initiative: Direct Purchase of Forests

Habitat conservation is a vital aspect of any wildlife conservation program. This is for the simple reason that without habitat, there would be no wildlife. Without a safe and protected environment, rehabilitated animal releases would simply not be possible. Unfortunately, this aspect of conservation is extremely difficult in a country where wildlife habitat disappears by… Continue reading OFI’s Forest Protection Initiative: Direct Purchase of Forests

Orangutan of the Month: Goran

In the hectic hubbub of the Playpen facility, there is one orangutan who seems to have captured a true “Zen” attitude. Goran is a peaceful and sweet little boy who keeps to himself and maintains his calm and quiet character even during the busiest of days. Goran is named for Goran Visnjic, the Croatian actor… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Goran

A day at OFI’s Playpen Facility at the Orangutan Care Center

The orangutans at OFI’s Playpen Facility are about to finish their banana breakfast when I arrive around 8:30 in the morning. Today, I’m spending my day at this facility within OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine to meet the orangutans and their caregivers, and to experience what it’s like to work here. For the caregivers,… Continue reading A day at OFI’s Playpen Facility at the Orangutan Care Center

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4096 [post_author] => 10301 [post_date] => 2010-10-24 00:16:34 [post_date_gmt] => 2010-10-24 07:16:34 [post_content] => After repeatedly telling her that I have it on good authority that she can speak English well, Ibu Ipuk simply replies in English: “I don’t speak English! Who told you that?” With everyone at the forest facility laughing about her reply, Ipuk herself is probably laughing the hardest. It is a perfect example of the shy but funny character that is Ibu Ipuk. When visiting the Care Center, there are a few caregivers that are certain to leave lasting impressions. Three of these very distinct employees are Ibu Ipuk, Ibu Juni and Mr. Lagu. These three staff members have two major things in common: they are siblings and they are completely blind! It is an unexpected disability for caregivers who look after orangutans and follow them on their daily outings in the forest. Amazingly however, these three siblings have overcome their condition and are able to perform their jobs just as well as every other OFI staff member. Born sighted, Ibu Ipuk has lived with her condition for fifty years. It is an exceptional sight to see her walking, as she doesn’t use a stick or her hands to reach out in front of her. Even with two orangutans clinging to her body, she easily finds her way from the night enclosures to the playground behind the facility. She says, “I never use a stick for walking, I just feel everything with my feet.” As usual, she is laughing while she tells me this, and she makes it seem like the easiest job in the world and I’m silly for asking. Ipuk is a very cheerful woman with a special sense of humor. Often she is joking, laughing, or quietly chuckling about something. When asked if she remembers any specific funny situation or moment on the job, she tells me: “There are too many funny moments! But it is funny when we take the orangutans to the forest. Sometimes they nip me and sometimes they poop on me!” Like so many times before, we share a laugh. I think to myself that it’s certainly a blessing to be able to laugh about these things when working with orangutans. It is said that when a person loses one of his/her senses, their other senses become stronger than usual. I wonder about this while Ibu Ipuk talks about the forest and her love for nature. It is the sound of the forest, the warm touch of the sun on her skin, or a light breeze on her face that makes her appreciate being outside so much. While in the forest with the orangutans, Ipuk likes to find and collect young leaves to feed to her “favorite animals, the orangutans.” Besides fighting for the conservation of orangutans and their rain forest habitat, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) is also committed to creating positive and sustainable employment opportunities for the local residents of the small village of Pasir Panjang and other Dayak and Melayu towns and villages. With almost 200 local assistants, OFI has helped several villages and locales to become educated about, and actively involved in, combating the environmental and conservation-related problems facing Indonesia. OFI tries very hard to give opportunities to as many local people as possible, especially the aboriginal people of Borneo, the Dayaks, as well as disabled people. We understand that, in the end, it is the local people who will have to save the orangutans and their habitats from extinction. But again, don’t think that Ibu Ipuk is any less good at her job than anyone else! One last example: While spending my day with Ipuk and her coworkers, there was one orangutan, Morgan, who kept nipping everyone except Ipuk. She told me that she and Morgan have a special connection and that Morgan never nips her. Morgan does like to hide from her sometimes though, and although I cannot help but laugh about this to myself, in reality Ibu Ipuk has no problem retrieving Morgan, drawing Morgan close with some food and then hugging Morgan, just like her colleague caregivers would do. Ipuk and her siblings are an example of the ability of humans to adapt to special conditions and their environment. As a matter of fact, they are not just an example… they are a great example! [caption id="attachment_4097" align="aligncenter" width="350"]Ipuk brings two orangutans to the playground Ipuk brings two orangutans to the playground[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4098" align="aligncenter" width="350"]Ibu Ipuk trying to hold in her laughter Ibu Ipuk trying to hold in her laughter[/caption] [post_title] => Employee of the Month: Ibu Ipuk [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => employee-of-the-month-ibu-ipuk [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-09-28 22:13:53 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-09-29 05:13:53 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.orangutan.org/?p=4096 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 3 [filter] => raw )