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… Continue reading Tommy: a little orphan with a big heart

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… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: “Dewa”

Orangutan of the Month: Goran

In the hectic hubbub of the Playpen facility, there is one orangutan who seems to have captured a true “Zen” attitude. Goran is a peaceful and sweet little boy who… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Goran

Orangutan of the Month: Tom

Tom is a handsome and muscular sub-adult male living in Tanjung Puting. He is the son of an ex-captive called Tutut. He is inquisitive and can often be seen on… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Tom

Orangutan of the Month: Robbie

Maybe we’re not supposed to have favorites but, just like with people, connections happen before you know it. That’s the way it was with Robbie. For reasons I’ll never know,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Robbie

Orangutan of the Month: Somalia

The photo on the left shows Somalia as he was when I first saw him in 1994. He had not yet been turned over to the Orangutan Foundation and you… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Somalia

Orangutan of the Month: Yayat

In 1987, when I first came to Camp Leakey as an Earthwatch volunteer, there were three sub-adult orangutans in camp: Pola, Yayat, and Kusasi. Two years later, I was in… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Yayat

Orangutan of the Month: “Pola”

Pola came to Camp Leakey in the mid-1970s as a young juvenile orphan along with other notables like Princess, Unyuk and Tutut. During that time, Pola joined one of the… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: “Pola”

Orangutan of the Month: Ego

Photographs and story by Carol Ritchie I first met Ego (pronounced Egg-0) in 1998, one of the many orphaned orangutans being cared for by OFI Indonesian staff. Dr. Galdikas suggested… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Ego

Orangutan of the Month: Mohtar

Tracy Tannenbaum and Ron Austerlade visited Tanjung Puting in April and September of 1998 and again in April 1999. They fell in love with many of the park’s orangutan residents,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Mohtar