Going up river to tributery of Lamandau to a release camp

In 1971 Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and Rod Brindamour established an orangutan rehabilitation and release program at Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting Reserve (now National Park). It was the first such program in Kalimantan.

It was established by Dr. Galdikas in order to remove orangutans from the commercial pet trade and improve the quality of life of wild born ex-captive orangutans. Another goal was to educate the local people and government officials as to why capturing and owning endangered wildlife helps destroy the natural ecology and how even despite the best intentions of some individuals, there is rarely a happy ending for the animals. Equally important Dr. Galdikas felt that by establishing this highly visible tourist attraction in the Park, it would help ensure the protection of forests in Tanjung Puting for years to come.

Read about the rescue process

Learn about rehabilitation at the OCCQ

Read about the historical and current release sites