Charming Cabang: Orangutan of the Month

Most of the orangutans at the Orangutan Care Center & Quarantine (OCCQ) in Pasir Panjang, Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia, have come into OFI’s care as a result of habitat destruction. Rainforest conversion to palm oil plantations, logging, and mining leads to fragmentation of the orangutan’s habitat, leaving orangutans with little choice but to enter plantations in… Continue reading Charming Cabang: Orangutan of the Month

Read Article

Tommy: a little orphan with a big heart

Doing conservation work can be exciting but also challenging and sometimes disheartening due to the hard odds arrayed against protecting habitat and animals in the wild. As a volunteer and fundraiser for OFI, I am inspired by and find a source of strength from the many young orphan orangutans I work with at OFI’s Orangutan… Continue reading Tommy: a little orphan with a big heart

Read Article

Orangutan of the Month: “Dewa”

Dewa is a now a nine year old male orangutan who stole my heart on my very first day of volunteering in 2012 at OFI’s Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine in Pasir Panjang, Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia. In just one week Dewa and I became special friends. It has been such a delight getting to spend… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: “Dewa”

Read Article

Orangutan of the Month: Daring Dominique

When I am with the infant and juvenile male orangutans at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ), I sometimes picture what they will look like when they are fully grown. In their first years of life, all orangutans develop slowly and maintain a fairly small size. But once they enter adolescence, male orangutans in… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Daring Dominique

Read Article

Cute Faces, Dark Realities (Part 1)

Look at these photos of infant orangutans. What are the first thoughts that come into your head? My guess is that your reaction is something like, “So cute!” or “I want to cuddle them!” Maybe you’re even thinking, “I want one!” Unfortunately, the charms that orangutans and other primates possess push too many people to… Continue reading Cute Faces, Dark Realities (Part 1)

Read Article