Category: Stories

2024 Spring Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Appeal

Dear Friend of OFI, The world is on fire. Everywhere you look, somewhere, there is a massive wildfire burning. As I write this sitting at my desk in Camp Leakey, fires are currently burning in Canada, Australia, and other locations. Unfortunately, the island of Borneo is not an exception to the recent occurrence of massive… Continue reading 2024 Spring Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Appeal

Fall Appeal 2023

Dear Friends of OFI, The babies need our help! Each day, thousands of acres of tropical rain forests are clear‐cut, burned, and reduced to ash. The scorched earth, once home to variegated wildlife, becomes a deafeningly silent monoculture plantation. Wild orangutans who once roamed these now stricken ashen landscapes are starving, their deaths often carried… Continue reading Fall Appeal 2023

IN MEMORIAM: Orangutan 1978 – 2021 SISWI Much Loved!

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… Continue reading IN MEMORIAM: Orangutan 1978 – 2021 SISWI Much Loved!

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

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: IBU RENIE

Jakarta, the current capital of Indonesia. A city famed for its hustle and bustle, roads jam packed with motorbikes and cars each vying for space, sidewalks overflowing with street vendors and people. It’s easy to be overwhelmed here. In amongst this sits an unassuming side street where one will find an equally unassuming house. Finding… Continue reading EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: IBU RENIE

Threats to the Park Escalated in the 1980’s!

In the 1970s the situation facing orangutans and the existence of rainforest seemed somewhat bleak. Little did I know! The situation in the 70s was actually the calm before the storm. Suddenly, sometime in the late 1980s, everything seemed to go haywire. The destruction of the forest around the National Park accelerated. Gold was discovered… Continue reading Threats to the Park Escalated in the 1980’s!

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First Mother: Siswoyo

In the mid 1970s, two retired Indonesian Army Generals, one of whom had been the very popular Chief of Police for all of Indonesia, gave me their four orangutans. One of the retired Generals, who spoke English quite well because he had been a prisoner in Europe during the Second World War after being captured… Continue reading First Mother: Siswoyo

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Categorized as Stories

IN MEMORIAM: HOCKEY Orangutan of the Month Remembered December 2020 and January 2021

At OFI we enjoy the highs but we also must endure the lows. It is with a heavy heart that we inform our friends and supporters that after a short illness (non-Covid19 related) wild born ex-captive female orangutan “Hockey” passed away in her sleep. Thankfully, she was not alone as her faithful carer and nurse… Continue reading IN MEMORIAM: HOCKEY Orangutan of the Month Remembered December 2020 and January 2021

Orangutan of the Month August – November 2020
BAMA: Curious girl Searcher and Explorer

Away deep in the woods, life goes on at Camp Rendell, an adjunct facility to OFI’s Care Center in Central Borneo. An orangutan “soft release” is taking place. The daily soft release process sees the wild born ex-captive orangutans taken out in the morning from their sleeping enclosures and brought back in the late afternoon.… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month August – November 2020
BAMA: Curious girl Searcher and Explorer

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Away deep in the woods, life goes on at Camp Rendell, an adjunct facility to OFI’s Care Center in Central Borneo. An orangutan “soft release” is taking place. The daily soft release process sees the wild born ex-captive orangutans taken out in the morning from their sleeping enclosures and brought back in the late afternoon. Today female orangutan Bama is journeying to the Learning Forest. As she emerges, she looks up to the sky allowing the sunlight to engulf her face and freckle adorned neck.

Years ago, Bama was handed over to OFI from a Palm Oil Plantation. Sadly, this was not a unique case in of itself but there was one unique aspect. The person handing her over to OFI informed us that palm oil workers had killed the mother. This honesty is unusual as the normal line is “the orangutan infant was found abandoned by the mother.” This honesty didn’t make the situation any easier but at least we know for certain what happened to Bama. Before she came to us. In order to obtain an orangutan infant, mothers are probably almost always killed. A mother can never be replaced but we at OFI can try our best.

Bama learned about the world mainly through interaction with her peers. Different combinations of individuals are brought out together to the forest. Immature orangutans are generally lively and curious about the world, Bama particularly so! Bama is normally released alongside fellow females, Lori Belle, Poppy and Safitri. Just like humans not all orangutans get along so the right grouping helps make releases go as smoothly as possible. Not that releases always go to plan! Despite her losses Bama is independent and well-adjusted to her surroundings. She is also unperturbed by whomever she is released with.

At the edge of the treeline Bama slides off her caregiver’s back and takes herself into the forest, picking out which tree she wishes to climb first. She occupies one in the middle of a mini-clearing swinging in all four directions of the compass looking for somewhere to find purchase. She seems to have no sense of spatial awareness as she flies through the trees wrapped up in her own world. Bama likes to climb high and it can be a long wait until she comes back down to the forest floor from the canopy.

Bama perches on one of the bigger trees and rocks hither and tither around it to break off old branches. The branches snap off and fall easily to the ground. Mission accomplished, she still continues her efforts. An appetite for destruction is not just a human trait but at least here it acts as a form of recycling as the Earth reclaims the branches. It’s good fun for Bama as she expends all her pent-up energy after being let out of her sleeping enclosure. Another branch breaks off and she stares at her handiwork. This also serves as a reminder to the ground bound observer of an orangutan’s formidable strength.

During perambulations around the forest, the caregivers lead Bama to a feeding station set up near camp. This raised wooden platform resembles the feeding stations that can be seen at Camp Leakey and the various posts throughout and near Tanjung Puting National Park where ex-captive wild born orangutans are released after rehabilitation. Supplemental feeding stations ease the strain on the forest during low fruiting seasons and support newly released orangutans as they get used to their new areas. OFI does not just release orangutans back to the wild and break all ties with them. The duty of care extends beyond this. Some orangutans utilise the stations more than others. Individuals are sometimes not seen for long periods once they have returned to the wild. This is an indicator that fruit is plentiful in the forest and they don’t need us which is the ideal outcome.

The feeding stations in the Rendell forest serve several purposes, as the orangutans can be brought here on long days and fed. This helps them get used to the idea of supplemental feeding if there isn’t enough wild fruit in the forest after they are released. Bama careens over to the platform and sits on it expectantly. She has already taken note of what the feeding station is for. Bama is a quick study and picks things up in a snap. As there is nothing on the platform yet, Bama checks her caregiver’s pockets for food. Finding nothing Bama casually headbutts her caregiver’s arm and slinks off.

Bama is a searcher and explorer, navigating her way through the tangled forest. She is always on the move which makes the task of photographing her a challenge all of its own. The perfect shot may be set up but Bama won’t sit still long enough and the photo comes out as an orange blur. Once she is done with the world above, she tumbles down to the world below and rolls around in the long grass. Photography becomes a little easier down here.

After two hours of perpetual motion it is time for some rest and contemplation. Bama kicks back and occupies herself stripping leaves and undressing shoots. She lays flat on the grass with her legs akimbo. Bama eschews the dainty ways of fellow orangutans such as Lady Gilbert preferring a more devil may care attitude to life.

Bama proves once again her skills of observation. She grabs a stick and with both legs sprawled out in front of her begins poking the ground around the tree roots, mimicking the assistants who look for hidden ant and termite nests in this fashion to bring back as enrichment for the orangutans at the Care Center. She is like a child on the beach playing with sand and brings to mind the infant orangutans housed at Camp Danielle. This elicits a parental warmth from onlookers and a protective instinct towards her. At these moments Bama resembles a big cute innocent baby! But not one for too much introspection, Bama grows bored of this activity and heads off, on the move again.

Some paths in the forest are easier to navigate then others. There are several pathways in and around Camp Rendell on the ground but Bama has been known to create her own through the brush and bracken. The prickles, thorns, and variety of overhanging plants are brazenly brushed aside by Bama as she wends her way. It’s not so easy for humans. We need machetes to hack our way through the brush which can be a timely process. The caregivers act with haste so they can keep up with Bama as she delves deeper into the forest. She is as fast on the ground as she is in the trees. Now Bama is chasing her friend, orangutan Poppy, through the undergrowth wanting to play. Bama catches up to her but gets more than she bargained for. The bigger Poppy instantly pins Bama down and comes out on top as they wrestle.

The afternoon is getting on and so the group work their way back towards camp. Bama makes pitstops along the way to grab some fruit from the trees. Bama is in no hurry to get back and the staff wait patiently with her until she is ready. Bama had her normal upbringing taken from her. Nevertheless, OFI strives to restore the balance and provide her with a place of security, safety and opportunity. For Bama, Camp Rendell is this place and she has grown into a smart, active, fun loving and curious individual. One day she will be transferred to the great forest and she will be free to choose whether or not she will use the supplemental feeding stations there. OFI will be with her every step of the way until she needs us no more.

But the big question that always vexes us will be: will there be sufficient forest for Bama and her orangutan friends to thrive as they should in the wild.

[post_title] => Orangutan of the Month August - November 2020
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