Orangutan Sanctuary Volunteer

Orangutans are one of the species closest related to humans - we share about 97% of our DNA. ‘Orangutan’ means “people of the forest” in Malay and refers to their social behavior and intelligence which resemble that of humans. Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammal, spending most of their lives in trees. Reaching almost two meters, their long arms allow them to move effortlessly through the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Deforestation and poaching have decreased the number of orangutans drastically. Volunteer abroad on a project with orangutans and make sure this endangered species has a chance of survival.

Orangutans have become one of the most critically endangered animals in the world. Their natural habitat has decreased causing the number of orangutans to decline so dramatically over the past decades that experts estimate they will be extinct in the wild in 50 years.
To start with, we can already make a difference by avoiding products that contain palm oil from unsustainable sources. Palm oil production is one of the biggest threats to wildlife because of the deforestation that’s required for that plantations. Here’s a list of products containing palm oil created by the World Wildlife Fund that we highly recommend checking out.

Orangutans play a vital role in the ecosystem they inhabit. They are considered the “gardeners” of the forest because they eat fruits and spread the seeds as they move around. Research has shown that orangutans prefer primary and secondary forests as their habitat which indicates the health of their surroundings. Sadly, there are diminishing healthy untouched forests left for orangutans and other wildlife like the Sumatran rhino, the clouded leopard or the Bornean elephant.

Slow Reproduction

Of all mammals on earth, orangutans have the slowest rate of development which makes them slow to reproduce. Orangutans can live up to 50 years in the wild, but females only reach their reproductive age at around 13 and usually don’t have offspring before they are 16 years old.
Infants are carried until they are up to five years old and can be fed until they are eight years old. They continue to live with their mothers until they are ready to have their offspring and maintain a very close bond. This is why orangutans only have four to five babies during their lifetime.

Primatologists explain the extremely long “childhood” among orangutans is because of the extensive knowledge they receive from their mothers. The mother teaches their child the 300 types of fruits they eat and how to make a bed out of leaves and branches that can hold their body weight and protect them from rain. Orangutans are known to build a new nest every single night. This includes pillows and a blanket.

Their low reproductive rate makes orangutan populations more vulnerable to threats. It takes them a long time to recover from dangers like wildfires that have erased large numbers of orangutans in the past.

Poaching and Illegal Pet Trade of Orangutan babies

Their slow movements and large size make them an easy target for poachers. Illegal hunting is a huge threat to orangutans. They are mainly hunted for illegal pet trade because there's still a big market for baby orangutans in Taiwan and Indonesia. To catch baby orangutans, the mothers are shot and it is estimated that for every baby that reaches the market alive, five others have died. Many fall from the trees when their mothers are shot and die from their injuries or they die of stress and bad treatment during captivity.

Despite their popularity as pets when they are babies, grown orangutans don't make good pets. Like any other wild animal, they grow to a size that is difficult to handle because they're much stronger than humans. The trauma of being captured together with poor handling and keeping leads to aggressive behavior. This is why “pet” orangutans are either abandoned or killed once they grow up.

Illegal orangutan hunting & habitat destruction

Orangutans living close to farms or plantations are often killed to keep them away from the harvest. When their habitat shrinks and they can’t find enough food, orangutans will occasionally leave the safety of the treetops and wander to look for other sources of food. This is not appreciated by the locals and plantation owners.

Plantations are the biggest threat to orangutans nowadays because it requires rainforests to be destroyed. To make matters worse, most plantations also produce palm oil in an unsustainable way. Rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra are not protected by the government and even when they are, the documentation usually gives plantation owners the freedom to continue destroying the habitat of countless endangered species.

The market for palm oil has grown rapidly and is very profitable. This explains why regulatory laws don’t exist. A solution would be to shift toward sustainably produced palm oil from plantations that don’t require burning down forests. If you are interested in this topic and would like to learn more, we recommend checking out the website of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

Volunteering with Orangutans in Indonesia

If you want to travel to Indonesia, for visa reasons or because you want to explore this breathtaking island country and volunteer with orangutans, you can choose between North Sumatra or Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo).

The Bornean orangutans are more adaptable to disturbances in their habitat and can also be found in secondary forests. This gives them a larger habitat and better chances of survival.

The Sumatran orangutan is a lot more sensitive to changes in their habitat. This is why they can only be found in the untouched forests of the Aceh province on the island of Sumatra.

Samboja Lestari

Samboja Lestari is a project led by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS) and is dedicated to reforestation and orangutan rehabilitation. This area, previously known as Samboja, was discovered in the late 1800s because of its oil. The biodiverse rainforest on the east side of Borneo was cleared by the 1950s by the petroleum industry and El Niño ravaged the area in 1982. Whatever was left of the rainforest went up in smoke during the forest fires of 1997 and 1998.

BOS started purchasing land in Samboja (East Borneo) in 2001 and the reforestation efforts began. Samboja was renamed Samboja Lestari (Samboja forever). The project revolves around 3 P’s: people, planet and profit. It empowers the locals while building capacity by encouraging economic development alongside conservation. This makes it sustainable for both the environment as the local community of Borneo.

Securing the Bornean Orangutan population was the main focus of the project. “Forest Schools” were introduced to teach orangutans forest skills allowing them to roam around the forest under supervision. Orangutan islands were set up for those that can’t return to the wild but can live in natural conditions save for a few adjustments.

Samboja Lestari hasn’t regained its biodiversity of the late 1800s but a young forest is emerging rapidly. Samboja Lestari now inhabits endangered bird species like the hornbill, 30 species of reptiles alongside porcupines, pangolins, mouse deer and the endangered proboscis monkey.
If you want to volunteer at an orangutan sanctuary, the island Java is a great option. You will find rescue centers and orangutan sanctuaries outside their natural habitat because illegal trade is still very common.

Volunteering with orangutans in Malaysia (on Borneo)

If you want to travel to Malaysia and volunteer with orangutans, most projects are located in Sabah (the north) or in Sarawak (the southwest).

Sepilok

Sepilok is an orangutan rehabilitation Center in Sabah Malaysia. It’s the first rehabilitation for rescued orphaned orangutans and was founded in 1964. Sepilok set out to protect orangutans from deforestation and poaching. 43 sq km of the Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve serves as a rehabilitation site for orangutans. There’s a center to care for orangutans and other wildlife like sun bears, gibbons, Sumatran rhinos and elephants that need extra medical attention.

60-80 orangutans now live freely in the reserve while about 25 young orphans are housed in nurseries. Because of their long childhood, orangutan infants are paired with an older orangutan so they can develop the skills they need.

With each orangutan killed or captivated, the genetic pool of the remaining individuals shrinks. Reserves like Sepilok play a crucial role in protecting orangutans and other wildlife from the devastating effects of deforestation and the illegal pet trade. It’s the only way these species have a chance of surviving.

Travel and volunteer on the island of Borneo or northern Sumatra and be blown away by the lush green foliage covering the island home to the precious orangutan.

Asia

• Indonesia
• Malaysia

Hands-on fieldwork in the forest is demanding physical work and not for everybody. Working at an orangutan sanctuary or rescue center is also strenuous, but you won't be in the forest which can be very hot and humid.Some centers welcome visitors or local school classes to educate people about their conservation efforts. You may be asked to lead groups or give educational talks. The daily tasks at a rescue center usually include:

• creating enrichment that encourages natural behavior
• prepping food and cleaning of the enclosures
• construction and maintenance of the cages

If you can’t decide whether to volunteer at a sanctuary in Borneo or join a field project, there is a middle way. Some projects offer two-week tours that have the best of everything: learning about orangutans and the conservation methods, working at a rescue center for a few days, trekking through the forest and monitor wildlife, engaging in reforestation and even meet local tribes in the rainforest to get an insight into their culture.