Orangutan of the Month: Getting to know ESRI
Out of all the orangutans I met during my stay at the Care Center, none surprised me quite as much as ESRI did. With her long, tapered face and somewhat crossed eyes, ESRI’s appearance is sweetly demure, yet she was one of the first orangutans to test me as a new OFI volunteer. In my first… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Getting to know ESRI
When it Rains, it Pours
A low rumble of thunder may be your only warning. If you’re quick, you might catch the deep gray voluminous clouds glide across the sky like a curtain being drawn across a window. Perhaps you notice the strong wind that suddenly whips through the forest canopy, pulling at leaves and branches as it passes. In… Continue reading When it Rains, it Pours
Orangutan of the Month: Kino’s Journey
When I first arrived at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine more than six months ago, Kino was one of the first orangutans I met. Like me, he was a newcomer to the orangutan orphanage. His body was riddled with bullet casings and noticeably devoid of hair, evidence of the trauma he had undoubtedly already… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Kino’s Journey
Orangutan of the Month: Mimi the Marvel!
Mimi first arrived to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine many years ago as a young baby. Her bright and friendly manner immediately captured the attention of both the Care Center staff and volunteers. Initial field notes on Mimi’s condition reported her “silly” nature and cute, little, pot belly. But the shock of Mimi’s rapidly… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Mimi the Marvel!
A New Home for Gulu Gulu
The Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine houses hundreds of wild born ex-captive orangutans in the process of rehabilitation but did you know that we also house a cassowary? Standing at almost 4 feet and weighing around 90-100 lbs, this magnificent land bird with the jewel-colored head is about as far away from an orangutan as… Continue reading A New Home for Gulu Gulu
November 2014: Sweet Sally
It is morning at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine. The soft light of the post dawn sky filters through the tree tops as the orangutans enjoy their breakfast of bananas and coconuts. Sally, a large adult female, has caught my eye. She has finished eating her breakfast and is interested in something a little… Continue reading November 2014: Sweet Sally
Hockey’s Cart
Due to a stroke she suffered before she came to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine, and possibly as a result of her initial capture when her mother was killed, Hockey is completely paralyzed on the right side of her body and is still plagued by regular seizures. But her disability doesn’t stop her from… Continue reading Hockey’s Cart
OCCQ Staff Spotlight: Ibu Tuti
When caregivers at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine are having difficulty handling an orangutan, they often do the same thing: turn to one person for help. That person is Ibu Tuti. Small of stature and unassuming, Ibu Tuti seems like an unusual choice as an orangutan handler for the more challenging cases. But when… Continue reading OCCQ Staff Spotlight: Ibu Tuti
Best Friends
Ray and Larry love hanging out on their daily releases to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine baby playground. Larry is more timid than Ray and sometimes needs Ray’s encouragement to start exploring the playground. Often Larry will sit in his caregiver’s lap while Ray climbs around the jungle gym.
Ariel the Archaeologist
Every morning in the grounds of OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine, young orphaned orangutans on their daily release take to the trees for a day of riotous, energetic play. The forest canopy shakes with their tree-top romps as orangutans of all ages wrestle and chase each other to exhaustion. In this sea of exuberant… Continue reading Ariel the Archaeologist
