“Bonnie Prince Charlie”, known as Bonnie for short, is a sensitive bear. If any bear needs a boost in self-confidence as a bear, it’s Bonnie. Having spent the first part of his life confined to a small cage, he became very shy. During his early days at the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ) in… Continue reading Bear of the Month for March, 2019: Bonnie
Category: Stories
Employee Spotlight: Ibu Yeti
When walking along the boardwalk en route to Camp Danielle, a facility at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Borneo, you may hear what sounds like exasperated shouting followed by laughter. These are the sounds of the daily release of young orangutans in the Infant Playground and the Learning Forest. Chief among the… Continue reading Employee Spotlight: Ibu Yeti
Bear of the Month for Feb, 2019: Raja
Raja is one of those bears who always appears to be grumpy. This is due to his fleshy forehead, common among sun bears, that produces several layers of deep-seated wrinkles. However, beneath this seemingly frowning face are two innocent dark brown eyes that show no sign of malice whatsoever. Admittedly, at first Raja’s appearance can… Continue reading Bear of the Month for Feb, 2019: Raja
Orangutan of The Month for Jan, 2019: Jono
Orangutan of the Month: Jono When migrants return to their motherland, are they more at home coming back to their land of origin or are they now more displaced? Humans all over the world grapple with this dissonance but in our search for belonging, we forget that we are not the only unsettled species. Today,… Continue reading Orangutan of The Month for Jan, 2019: Jono
Employee Spotlight: Pak Sia
Pak Sia: Devoted to the Orangutans “When I was six or seven, I didn’t really understand orangutans.” Pak Sia remembers. It was around that time he witnessed a teacher at his school receive an infant orangutan, which was then given over to Dr. Galdikas and OFI. After witnessing this Pak Sia began his journey to… Continue reading Employee Spotlight: Pak Sia
Orangutan of the Month for Dec, 2018: Wendy
Four in the morning and dawn is barely breaking over the Bornean rainforest. All is quiet as the forest and the animals within begin to stir. The rising sun brings with it the caregivers from the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ). It is an exceedingly early start for them. The working day normally begins… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Dec, 2018: Wendy
Hockey’s Special Needs
Hockey’s Special Needs by Allison Leach “Special” is indeed the word that first comes to mind when thinking of the orangutan Hockey. She came to the OFI Care Center as an orphan, like many other orangutans. But unfortunately, her sensitive nature, in both spirit and body, left her vulnerable to a crippling stroke suffered before… Continue reading Hockey’s Special Needs
Orangutan of the Month for Nov, 2018: Caca
Caca by Emi Kusayanagi It’s another hot and sunny morning at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia. At Camp Danielle, the youngest orangutans under the care of Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) staff are out in the Infant Playground and Learning Forest. At the playground, the little orangutans are everywhere,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Nov, 2018: Caca
Orangutan of the Month for Oct, 2018: Chewey
Chewey – is more than just an intergalactic icon Hermits, it seems, have gone out of vogue. These days socializing is what people are talking about. “It’s good for the brain” they say, “good for the heart.” Similarly to cloistered monks, Kalimantan’s orangutan males remain staunchly solitary. Time has been the best teacher. After thousands… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Oct, 2018: Chewey
Orangutan Awareness Week!
November 4-10 Orangutan Awareness Week (OAW) was first established by OFI in 1996 to honor the establishment of Camp Leakey during the first week of November in 1971. What began as a memorial to honor Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas’ research and orangutan conservation in Tanjung Puting National Park has become a world-wide celebration to spread… Continue reading Orangutan Awareness Week!