Category: News

Bangkok Six

Hundreds of orangutans were smuggled to fuel the exotic pet trade from the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra to areas far beyond orangutan native range in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1990, the Royal Thai Forestry seized six infant orangutans at the Bangkok Airport who were in the process of being smuggled to the former… Continue reading Bangkok Six

Remembering Pak Bohap

Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) and OFI Founder & President Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas are deeply grieved to announce that Pak Bohap bin Jalan passed away in April 2022. Pak Bohap was Dr. Galdikas’ husband for the past 42 years and worked with OFI for even longer. He fought a brief but intense battle against lung cancer and a heart… Continue reading Remembering Pak Bohap

Building a New Orangutan Playground

The Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Central Indonesian Borneo is constantly evolving to best serve the needs of orangutans and other wildlife under the care of Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). Sometimes, it is necessary to build entirely new structures to replace worn-out facilities or those that are no longer suitable for the growing… Continue reading Building a New Orangutan Playground

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OFI Translocated Orangutan Found Dead in Palm Oil Plantation

Dear Friends of OFI, I am devastated to share the following news with you, and must warn you of the graphic nature of the photographs associated with this article. On the heels of two known orangutan murders this year in our province of Central Indonesian Borneo, there is further disturbing news. Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) field… Continue reading OFI Translocated Orangutan Found Dead in Palm Oil Plantation

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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

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The New Records Library of OFI

Since Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas began research in 1971, through the establishment of Orangutan Foundation International in 1986, and to the present day, OFI has collected various data on wild orangutans, other native species, botany and logistics. This wild orangutan research program is singular in duration and continuity. The information, therefore, is incredibly valuable and… Continue reading The New Records Library of OFI

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OFI Still Fighting the Forest Fires of 2015

In 2015, deliberately lit fires raged across the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra. As the fires grew increasingly out of control and smoke hung heavy and thick over the region, the Indonesian government declared six provinces in the archipelago to be under a state of emergency. One of the six provinces was Central Kalimantan,… Continue reading OFI Still Fighting the Forest Fires of 2015

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Zooming in on ‘Forest Fragmentation’

Harmful consequences of Palm Oil plantations for Biodiversity – Zooming in on ‘Forest Fragmentation’ You might have heard that the production of palm oil is very damaging to our global environment and tropical biodiversity.[1] Acres of rainforest are cleared every hour, displacing or killing the many animals who live in them, including the critically endangered… Continue reading Zooming in on ‘Forest Fragmentation’

Orangutans Acting Wild: Building Nests, Making Friends, and Eating Upon Release into the Forest

Orangutans Acting Wild: Building Nests, Making Friends, and Eating Upon Release into the Forest With the release of four orangutans, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) has now released a total of twenty-seven individuals into the wild during 2017. Two females, Sindora and Sullivan, and two males, Scotch and Murray, were the most recent orangutan releases into… Continue reading Orangutans Acting Wild: Building Nests, Making Friends, and Eating Upon Release into the Forest

Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild

On Tuesday, May 9th, an adult male orangutan “Jacko” and young Malaysian sun bear “Chico”arrived in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) in Indonesian Borneo. They were welcomed by Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and staff from Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). Fourteen year old orangutan Jacko was discovered in August of 2014, living in a private… Continue reading Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 20618 [post_author] => 10287 [post_date] => 2017-05-18 09:41:36 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-05-18 16:41:36 [post_content] => Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild Orangutan Foundation International Dr Birute Mary GaldikasOn Tuesday, May 9th, an adult male orangutan “Jacko” and young Malaysian sun bear “Chico”arrived in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) in Indonesian Borneo. They were welcomed by Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and staff from Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). Fourteen year old orangutan Jacko was discovered in August of 2014, living in a private villa in Cianjur, West Java. “The people there kept him in an extremely sad state,” explained Femke den Haas, co-founder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) who helped rescue Jacko. “Jacko was found in a 2 meter high bamboo crate which did not allow him to stand up. Underweight and hair infested with fleas, he was kept amongst years’ worth of accumulated rubbish, urine, and feces with no shelter from the rain or equatorial sun. He was emaciated. In fact, we did not think he was going to survive,” Femke continued. The Jakarta Forestry Department rescued Jacko and placed him in JAAN’s rescue center. After a health evaluation and DNA checks to ensure he was actually from Borneo, Jacko was was relocated from Jakarta to the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ) managed by OFI in Indonesian Borneo. Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild Orangutan Foundation International Dr Birute Mary Galdikas Malayan sun bear Chico’s rescue is a testament to the power of social media. In 2016, Ibu Ismutia noticed a young sun bear in a small cage at Pantai Mutiara harbour in Jakarta. She publicized her sightings over Twitter. Not long after the story spread far and wide, “JAAN” and the Forestry Department located and rescued Chico. JAAN was established by Femke den Haas, Karin Franken, and Natalie Stewart in 2008 as a resource for people to contact and report cases of animal abuse in Indonesia. Jacko and Chico were accompanied by the JAAN team and Forestry officials during their transport via Trigana Air Airlines from Jakarta to Pangkalan Bun, where they were welcomed by Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and OFI staff. A small press conference was held to share information about animal rescue and the illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia. 2017-05-09_PressRelease_dwn_016_Jacko,Chico_wmChico and Jacko were moved into OFI’s Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ). Upon release into their new spacious enclosures, each had instantaneous responses conveying intact wild instincts. Jacko immediately started swinging in his enclosure as though he was brachiating in the forest. Chico, who had been living in a confined steel crate, moved straight towards the logs and natural matter in his enclosure to begin digging. A good beginning for their journey home to the forest! “These animals are native to Kalimantan. For now, we will wait while they go through the process of rehabilitation at the Care Center. When everything is ready, the location and the animal, they will be released,” said Forestry Department official, Pak Agung. Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild Orangutan Foundation International Dr Birute Mary Galdikas “It takes years to rehabilitate an orangutan,” explained Dr. Galdikas, President and founder of OFI. “We will take care of Jacko. When he can make a nest and find his own food foraging in the trees, we will release him into the forest. But the process is not quick and easy. It may take several years.” For now, the two animals will benefit from around the clock care at the OFI Care Center where they will have the largest living spaces they have known during their many years in captivity. OFI will prepare them for a much brighter future involving their eventual release back to the wild. [post_title] => Adult Orangutan and Young Malayan Sun Bear Rescued from Grim Captive Conditions for Return to Wild [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => chico-and-jacko [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-07-05 00:22:52 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-07-05 07:22:52 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://orangutan.org/?p=20618 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )