Dusk approaches along the banks of the Sekonyer River in Tanjung Puting National Park, the gateway to Camp Leakey. Orangutans have already made their nests and hunkered down for the night. In the national park, especially during the high season in July and August, holidaymakers slumber on the kelotoks (houseboats used for tourism) parked on… Continue reading News From The Field: Creatures of the Night
Tag: Tanjung Puting
A Look Back at the History of Iconic Camp Leakey
When Birute Mary Galdikas ventured deep into the heart of Borneo in 1971 as a young graduate student, it was in pursuit of a long sought-after dream – that of exploring an ancient tropical rainforest and discovering more about the mystery held within it: the Bornean orangutan. Dr. Galdikas was fascinated by these animals we… Continue reading A Look Back at the History of Iconic Camp Leakey
The Captivating Flora and Fauna of Tanjung Puting National Park
Tanjung Puting National Park, where Orangutan Foundation International has worked for over 30 years, and its surrounding area is home to a beautiful array of diverse flora and fauna including the Bornean orangutan. In this photo essay we would like to introduce you to some of the other species, from palm trees and beetles to… Continue reading The Captivating Flora and Fauna of Tanjung Puting National Park
Tanjung Puting National Park Day
On Sunday the 7th of February, 2016 a promotion day was hosted by the Tanjung Puting National Park at Kumai, in the province of Kalimantan Tengah (Central Indonesian Borneo).The aim of the day was to promote the National Park as a tourist destination for local people and to highlight the Park’s unique biodiversity. Orangutan… Continue reading Tanjung Puting National Park Day
Analyzing Hydrology in Tanjung Puting’s Peat Swamp Forests
It may seem strange to think of tropical forests and swamps together… but not to orangutans who call peat swamp forests home. The flooded river networks of Tanjung Puting National Park and Lamandau Reserve are key components of forest ecology. Without them, forests and fruit would be distributed differently, and so would orangutans and other species dependent on these unique ecosystem.
Gestural Communication in Wild Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Tanjung Puting National Park
According to our current knowledge, the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) was the first great-ape species to split off from the evolutionary tree that led to modern humans. This happened about 14 million years ago (Goodman, 1999). In searching for the origins of human cognition and human language it is therefore imperative to gain knowledge about the… Continue reading Gestural Communication in Wild Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Tanjung Puting National Park
Great Call Girl!
Our adventure in Indonesia started with a trip to Jakarta. We were greeted by an (un)healthy dose of heat, noise, and smog and endured a week of frustrating, but necessary, red-tape, government officials (more often behind ping-pong tables than desks), and hair-raising taxi drives in order to validate our LIPI research permits. Eventually we received… Continue reading Great Call Girl!
OFI Partner, World Education, Begins Farmer Field School Program in Tanjung Puting National Park
World Education (WE) was established more than fifty years ago to improve the lives of the disadvantaged through social and economic programs. These programs include agricultural training, environmental education, community development, and integrated literacy. World Education’s international work is designed to contribute to individual growth as well as to community and national development. OFI’s partnership… Continue reading OFI Partner, World Education, Begins Farmer Field School Program in Tanjung Puting National Park
Orangutan Populations may become extinct in the wild within the next twenty years
Orangutans may become extinct in the wild within the next ten years – a frightening fact. I spent most of the summer in Indonesia and the situation there remains very critical. I want to keep you up to date on our struggle to keep orangutans and their forests in Indonesia from being completely destroyed.
There is good news and bad news to the story.