September, 26 2022
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Siswi, arguably Orangutan Foundation International’s (OFI) most famous and beloved orangutan, passed away towards the end of 2021 after a short illness. Siswi was 43 years old and it was 43 years filled with as much drama, comedy and tragedy that any of…
Read MoreMay, 19 2020
There are three identified species of orangutan – the Sumatran, Tapanuli and Bornean. Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) are the third heaviest living primate after two gorilla species. Studies have indicated that there are three subspecies on Borneo. The orangutans of Southwest Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) are the largest and most populous of the three Bornean…
Read MoreApril, 14 2020
A new baby orangutan at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) is sometimes the last link in a great chain. Lori Belle was reportedly found by some villagers in their “garden” and she was presented to the Taman Nasional (National Park office of the Indonesian Forestry), who passed her along to the KSDA (Nature…
Read MoreDecember, 22 2019
The hanging vines and sturdy trees in Orangutan Foundation International’s (OFI) Learning Forest in Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) have borne witness to many young orangutans over the years. The vines have weathered rough swinging, times of peace and times of organized chaos as caregivers and orangutans bustle back and forth through the forest. The vines…
Read MoreDecember, 20 2019
Photo of Indonesian wildfire Photo credit: Ulet Ifansasti NY Times Dear Friends of OFI, From June until October 2019 OFI staff were once again called upon to fight fierce fires that threatened orangutan habitat, national forests, OFI facilities and release sites. Wildfires such as these ravage primary forest, orangutan habitat, and reduce it to smoke…
Read MoreSeptember, 26 2019
The release of an orangutan back to the wild is a culmination of many years of hard and dedicated work. It is a profound moment when wild born ex-captive orangutans are finally released and free to live as they choose in the forest. It is not a straight and narrow path and, very, very occasionally,…
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