volume 10, no. 1 oc launches orangutan crisis …...teng to support rehabilitation projects. nyaru...

With wild orangutans andtheir rainforest homes disap-pearing faster than ever, theOrangutan Conservancy(OC) recently launched theOrangutan Crisis Coalition(OCC), a project that willbring together conservationorganizations, zoos, univer-sities, corporations, and fieldresearchers to work on is-sues related to orangutanprotection.

The OCC was unveiled byOC chairman Norm Rosenat the Orangutan SpeciesSurvival Plan (SSP) Hus-bandry Workshop (see page3), which was staged Octo-ber 16-18 at the BrookfieldZoo in Chicago.

“The situation facing orangu-tans in Sumatra and Borneois critical,” Rosen said, “andthe time to act is now. We

believe the Orangutan Cri-sis Coalition will be themost effective way to en-gage the most people andorganizations around theworld in this effort.”

The OCC is designed to

serve as a link between allof the various organizationsand agencies working on

various aspects of orangu-tan care or conservation,but with little overlap or mu-tual support. The OCC, forinstance, can link NorthAmerican zoos directly withfield projects in Sumatra orBorneo, just as it can en-gage major corporations to

support conservation efforts.

The OCC will also seek toraise funds to identify suit-able release sites for thehundreds of orangutansbeing held in rehabilitationcenters in Indonesia andMalaysia.

The Association of Zoos &Aquariums (AZA) issued aletter in support of the OCC,stating that “the situationfacing wild orangutans inBorneo and Sumatra is direbut not irreversible, and AZAinstitutions and the AZA’sSpecies Survival Plan (SSP)are keenly aware that theyhave a role to play in thisfight.” The OCC is also com-mitted to working closelywith individual AZA institu-tions that care for orangu-tans and the OrangutanSSP.

One aspect of the OCCwill be to engage the broad-est possible segment of thepublic in North America and

(Continued on page 11)

OC Launches Orangutan CrisisCoalition to Promote Unity, Spur Action

OC Targets Funding to Support Nyaru Menteng

The Orangutan Conser-vancy (OC) stepped up itscommitment to Borneo’slargest rescue center in2007 by allocating $105,000to the Nyaru MentengOrangutan ReintroductionProject in Central Kaliman-tan in order to buy food andmedicine and construct newfacilities for orphaned apes.

The majority of the fundscame through a $75,000grant from the Arcus Foun-dation’s Great Apes Fund,which helped build 24 new

quarantine cages, erectfencing along the rehabilita-tion islands, and purchasefire-fighting equipment forthe Nyaru Menteng staff.

The remainder was a

$25,000 gift from OC sup-

porters, which was used to

buy food, medicine and vital

supplies. and a $5,000 grant

from the Great Ape Trust of

Iowa.

(Related story, page 4)

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Volume 10, No. 1

Volume 10, No. 1

Table of Contents

OC Launches Orangutan Crisis Coalition.…..Page 1

OC Targets Funding for Nyaru Menteng……..Page 1

Brookfield Zoo Workshop Report…………......Page 3

OC Steers Major Grants to Nyaru Menteng….Page 4

UN Report Issues Dire Warning………………..Page 5

Updates from the Field: SOCP…………………Page 6

Updates from the Field: Gunung Palung….…Page 7

Updates from the Field: KOCP………………...Page 8

Updates from the Field: Wanariset…………....Page 9

Orangutan Conservancy Merchandise……...Page 12

Voices from the Wilderness is an annual publication of theOrangutan Conservancy.

Newsletter design and layout by [email protected].

Contributors: Doug Cress, Sue Singh, Michael Sowards,Shirley Randolph, Dr. Anne Russon

Please direct all questions, comments or requests for backissues to Orangutan Conservancy, P.O. Box 2113, Aptos, CA95001-2113 USA or write [email protected].

ORANGUTAN CONSERVANCY

P.O. BOX 2113

APTOS, CA 95001-2113 USA

OC HONORARY PATRONS

Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. E.O. Wilson, DjamaludinSuryohadikusumo, Suwanna Guantlett

ADVISORS

Dr. Amory B. Lovins, Dr. Willie Smits, Dr. CherylKnott, Dr. Tim Laman, Dr. Herman Rijksen,Dr. Carel van Schaik, Dr. Mark Leighton

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Norm Rosen, Chairman & Acting President

Roger E. Nelson, Michael Sowards, Dr. AnneRusson, Wayne Sowards, Christine Mallar, ShirleyRandolph, Dr. Rob Shumaker, Sarita Siegel, LindaKeenan, Sandra Fenley, Juanita Kempe, VanessaRogier, Dr. Stacey Sowards

Barbara Shaw, Vice-President

Doug Cress, Vice-President / Development

Margaret Clune Giblin, Corporate Secretary

Kevin Johnson, Attorney

Allison Kuze, CPA

The Orangutan Conservancy (OC) is incorporatedin the United States as a 501©3 non-profit corpo-ration.

Our thanks to all of our extraordinary volunteersand to you for giving when it is not always easy.We recognize the sacrifice that you make for thiscause and we value your commitment.

Copyright © 2007 Orangutan Conservancy, Allrights reserved.

In memory of Allen Hume.

VOICESVOICESFrom the WildernessFrom the Wilderness

www.orangutan.com

VOICES FROM THE WILDERNESS

Attention Federal Employees! You can make a lasting contribution to help orangutans!

Federal employees now have the opportunity to make payroll deduction contributions to The orangutan Conser-vancy. It’s fast, easy, and can make a tremendous impact over time. Just designate The Orangutan Conser-vancy, CFC #10819 as a donation recipient in the Combined Federal Campaign.

Many believe the firstOrangutan Species SurvivalPlan (SSP) HusbandryWorkshop was long over-due. That said, it may stillhave been in time to helpsave wild orangutans.

The workshop, which wasstaged October 16-18 at theBrookfield Zoo in Chicago,successfully focused on is-sues of conservation, habitatdestruction, and illegal log-ging, even as it addressedover 125 delegates largelyrfrom zoos in the UnitedStates and Europe. Eightcountries were representedand guest speakers fromfield projects in Borneo andSumatra underscored theurgency of the in situ situa-tion.

The Orangu-tan Conser-vancy (OC)workedclosely withBrookfield Zoo organizers tohelp identify important topicsand speakers. OC chairmanNorm Rosen unveiled theorganization’s Orangutan

Crisis Coalition (see page 1)agenda as part of the pro-gram, and later took partwith OC vice-president DougCress in a conservation fo-rum that included mediafrom around the country.

The OC also received a$5,100 gift from the Brook-field Zoo as a result of pro-ceeds from a silent auction.

The SSP is an Associationof Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)initiative that was begun in1981 to manage the captivepopulations of endangeredspecies in North Americanzoos. More than 107 SSPscurrently oversee the hus-bandry of 161 species.

But the Orangutan SSP hadnever held formal meetings,making the Brookfield Zoo

workshop doubly important.With dire reports from thefield as to the rapid disap-pearance of wild orangutansand their habitat, topics suchas the Indonesian pet tradeand oil palm expansionshared the stage with enclo-sure construction and cap-tive breeding in zoos.Speakers included orangu-tan field researchers suchas Cheryl Knott, Ian Single-ton, Serge Wich, Anne Rus-son and Suci Suci, andmore than a dozen dele-gates had experience atrehabilitation centers in ei-ther Sumatra or Borneo.

Vince Sodaro,the lead pri-mate keeper at the Brook-field Zoo, said the confer-ence will only be judged

successful if it provides astarting point for protectingapes. "Here we defined theissues that we must face ifwe want these animals to be

around 50 years from now,"he told the Chicago Sun-

Times.

The workshopalso presentedan opportunityfor the OC to

build working relationshipswith the zoos in Europe andNorth America that care fororangutans. As a result, theOC is already consultingwith the Oregon Zoo, theHogle Zoo in Salt Lake City,Busch Gardens in Tampa,and several other institutionsto prepare signage and in-formation campaigns thatpresent the wild orangutancrisis effectively to zoo visi-tors.

The OC was well repre-sented at the workshop, in-cluding board members RobShumaker, Roger Nelson,Michael Sowards, ShirleyRandolph, Barbara Shaw, inaddition to Russon andRosen.

Brookfield Zoo Focuses on Captive, ConservationConcerns at 1st Orangutan SSP Workshop


www.orangutan.com

"Here we defined the issues that we must face if we wantthese animals to be around 50 years from now..."

Vince Sodaro, Brookfield Zoo

Over 200 orangutans cur-rently reside in U.S. zoos.

The OrangutanConservancymaintained its long-standing supportof Borneo’s largestrescue center in2007 by allocatingmore than$100,000 to theNyaru MentengOrangutan Rein-troduction Projectin order to buyfood and medicineand construct newfacilities for or-phaned apes.

The majority of thefunds camethrough a $75,000grant from the Arcus Foun-dation’s Great Apes Fund,which helped build 24 newquarantine cages, erectfencing along the rehabilita-tion islands, and purchasefire-fighting equipment forthe Nyaru Menteng staff.

The remainder was a$25,000 gift from OC’s sup-porters, which was used tobuy food, medicine and sup-plies.

A $5,000 grant from theGreat Ape Trust of Iowa wasalso directed to Nyaru Men-teng to support rehabilitationprojects.

Nyaru Menteng is home toover 600 injured and un-wanted orangutans, many ofwhich have been confis-cated from poachers or ille-gal traders. Rampant defor-estation, hunting and humanencroachment in Borneohave caused a recent surgein orphaned orangutans,and Nyaru Menteng confis-

cated 80 infant orangutansand rescued 223 adults in2006, the highest numbersince the facility openedeight years ago.

The Orangutan Conser-vancy has supported NyaruMenteng since 2000, andbelieves the orphanage –which was created to care

for less than half its currentorangutan population – isemblematic of Indonesia’sdeep environmental crisis.“Every day, orangutans

move that much closer to

Arcus Great Apes Grant Highlights OC FundingDrive in Support of Nyaru Menteng in 2007

www.orangutan.com


extinction,” saidNorm Rosen, chair-man of the Orangu-tan Conservancy.“We are pleased tobe able to help NyaruMenteng in this cur-rent crisis, but forhow much longer canthey keep taking inorphans at this rate?Something has to bedone to protect theforest as well as theanimals that livethere.”The Arcus Founda-

tion grant, which was

one of only two made

on behalf of orangu-

tans in 2007, came at a time

when Nyaru Menteng was

facing severe space limita-

tions and the onset of an-

nual fires that figured to

push the orphan population

ever higher. The funds also

helped protect the rehabilita-

tion islands that house older

orangutans – some of which

were featured on the Animal

Planet documentary series,

“Orangutan Diary” – from

unwanted visitors.

It is estimated that Indonesia

has already lost more than

72 percent of its original

frontier forests, and contin-

ues to clear another one

percent each year. Much of

the recent devastation has

been caused by fires and

the rush to cultivate palm oil

for overseas markets, which

is made worse by weather

patterns such as El Nino.

Nyaru Menteng director Lone Droescher-Nielsenhelps peel fruit for a juvenile orangutan, one of over600 orphans at the sanctuary in Central Kalimantan.

The Arcus Foundation GreatApes Fund was created in 2000to support projects that promotethe conservation and welfare ofchimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos,orangutans, gibbons and sia-mangs. In 2007, over $4.2 mil-lion was awarded to programs inAfrica, Asia, and North America.For more information, visitwww.arcusfoundation.org.

UN Report Warns of Peril for Orangutans, BlamesRush to Embrace Biofuel Industry in Asia

www.orangutan.com


Orangutans face seriousclimatic and ecologicalthreats from global warmingand the oil palm trade, and arecent United Nations (UN)report indicates their long-term survival may be moreprecarious than ever.

Rampant illegal logging, le-thal annual forest fires andthe massive conversion offorests into plantations forpalm oil and pulp wood haveplaced orangutans on theworld's list of endangeredspecies. An estimated65,000 orangutans remain inBorneo and 7,300 in Suma-tra. A recent UN report indi-cated that the habitat suit-able for orangutans would belost by 2022.

A longer dry season will re-duce the abundance of fruitswhich will negatively impactorangutan populations sincefemales are not likely to con-ceive when food is scarce.Climate-change will inducefires thus fragmenting thehabitat and reducing thenumber of fruit bearing trees,which take many years tobear fruit. A combination ofrising temperatures and de-forestation is driving orangu-

tans out of the forests intovillages and plantations to

look for food.

A new U.N. study, “Palm OilNot Green Asia,” empha-sized that Europe’s demandfor “green-friendly” fuelssuch as palm oil is comingat a high social and environ-mental cost in Asia. TheU.N. report cautioned coun-tries in the region againstfollowing the lead taken byIndonesia and Malaysia, themain producers of palm oil

as a biofuel, as the expan-sion of cultivation of oil palmin Southeast Asia is associ-ated with widespread defor-estation and violation of hu-man rights of indigenouspeople.

The attraction of palm oil

plantations, which preceded

the emerging demand for

biofuels from Europe, stems

largely from the ease with

which they can be grown

and the high profits.

A recent United Nations report warned that the orangutans’ natu-ral habitat could be lost by 2022 at the current rate of destruction.

ERM Foundation—construction of canal blocks to stop the drainage of the valuable peat swamp forest in theMawas Conservation Area

UNOCAL—education program and project support

Great Ape Trust of Iowa (GAT)—support for the translocation of wild orangutans and education programs

Trimble Navigation Limited—GIS positioning instruments

Potrero Nuevo Fund, Tides Foundation—support for the translocation of wild orangutans and the nourishmentand care of orphaned orangutans at Wanariset

The Orangutan Conservancy would like to thank its corpo-

rate and institutional sponsors for their support in 2007!

By Ian Singleton

The peace accords that fi-nally brought calm to Acehin 2005 after almost sixyears of separatist conflicthave meant a gradual returnto normalcy for the Suma-tran Orangutan Conserva-tion Programme (SOCP).

Suaq Balimbing is now upand running again. Studentsfrom Zurich Univer-sity in Switzerlandand one from theUNAS (National Uni-versity, Jakarta) arenow working at thesite with SOCP staff,along with LeuserInternational Founda-tion (LIF) and theGunung Leuser Na-tional Park Authori-ties, to rejuvenateresearch at the peatswamp site in SouthAceh. The area is ofparticular interest toorangutan expertsdue to the high den-isities of orangutansand their tool-using behav-ior. All research activitiesceased there in 1999 as aresult of the fighting, butafter the peace accord wassigned -- and some earlyreconnaissance visits bySOCP and LIF personnel --we are delighted that scien-tific work is one again under-way at Suaq. The last yearalso saw the publication ofCarel van Schaik’s bookAmong Orangutans, whichprovides much more infor-mation on the Suaq orangu-tan population and explainswhy we were so keen to getback there.

The SOCP also continues torescue and rehabilitateorangutans, including Bolo,a female who underwentfollow-up surgery earlier thisyear on her arm to removepins from the elbow that wasdestroyed by a bullet woundwhilst being kept as a mili-tary officers “pet”. The pinswere put in during her firstoperation in December

2005, in an attempt to avoidamputation and to allow herto regain use of her hand.Bolo can now use all of thefingers in her left hand andcangraspobjectsrelativelyeasily.

TheSOCPalso completed constructionof some new cages at thequarantine in 2007. Theseare designed specially fororangutans that must staylonger at the quarantine

centre than most of themdo, and are located in avery green and leafy loca-tion next to the stream andnear the edge of the na-ture reserve that backs onto the site. Funding forthese cages was kindlydonated by the OrangutanConservancy, the Austra-lian Orangutan Project andthe kids of the Jakarta In-

ternational School.Bolo is one of the firstresidents of thesecages, along with Tilawho has hepatitis Band Leuser who isblind after being shotin both eyes whilst inthe forest (and else-where, 62 times in all)with an air rifle. Tilastill has to be keptseparate from theothers but we intendto try and mix Boloand Leuser so thatboth can benefit fromthe companionshipuntil a more suitable

solution for the rest of theirlives is found.

Finally, we are alsopleased to report that workon developing a conserva-

tion strategyfor theBatang Toruforests isalso pro-ceeding well.In April 2007,more than 30representa-

tives of the local govern-ments and other stake-holders of North, South


SOCP Welcomes Peace Accords, Battles LocalPolitics in Effort to Protect Sumatran Orangutans

www.orangutan.com


OC Facts

Orangutan Conservancyrecently funded the con-struction of cages andtraining at SOCP

Sumatran orangutans are classified as “criticallyendangered” by the World Conservation Union(IUCN), and it is believed that 80 percent of theirpopulation has disappeared over the last 75 years.

By Cheryl Knott

The sights, smells andsounds were familiar when Iarrived in Ketapang, WestKalimantan, Borneo, theheadquarters of the GunungPalung Orangutan Conser-vation Program (GPOCP).Pungent dried fish were laidout like dominoes in thestreet side markets, the roarof all shapes and sizes ofmotorbike – the standardform of transportation here –filled the air with a steadyhum and the toku, or shops,were bursting with color andeverything one could wantfor the home, from rainbowsof plastic buckets to shinyrice cookers and the latestcell phones.

The Ketapang communitywas alive, and it seemed asthough a good portion of itwas at my first event intown, the successful“Gunung Palung SpeaksOut.” This evening, organ-ized by GPOCP and theGunung Palung NationalPark Service office at a localoutdoor cafe, gave citizensan opportunity to learn aboutthe park and ask questionsregarding its features andpreservation. A large stagewas set-up outside with awide screen back-drop pro-jecting a number of newfilms made at GunungPalung. Live music, danceand skits were all part of thepresentation, and a fun nightout was had by all.

As I met with GPOCP staffand toured the area, it be-came apparent that changeswere taking place, and theproject was keeping pacewith the ever shifting dynam-

ics of a growing communityand constant pressures onthe area’s orangutans, for-ests andnaturalresources.I arrived inSukadana,the largesttown nextto thePark, to find a completelynew government: TheKetapang regency, orcounty, was split in two in2007 and now the Park’sorangutans must contendwith a new bupati, or mayor,

and the new challengesthese changes will bring.We kept our communitypresence strong by partici-pating in the opening cere-mony for the regency andmeeting the new bupati. Welook forward to developingclose ties with him as we

continue our education,awareness and habitat pro-tection projects in the area.

I wasthrilled tofinallymake itback intothe forest,and our

new Lubuk Baji environ-mental education and ecot-ourism camp in the hills highabove Sukadana was anexcellent place to explore. Icounted dozens of orangu-tan nests as we trekked pastcrystal clear waterfalls andbrilliantly delicate orchids.As we approached thecamp, the late afternoonwas filled with the sounds ofgibbons and leaf monkeyswhooping and chatteringhigh up in the canopy. Thecamp, finished in early 2007,is like a big two-story treehouse in the forest, com-plete with Dayak staircases.We have already hostedhigh school field trips, ParkService meetings and inter-national tourists.

Two days later I got achance to visit CabangPanti, the Park’s jewel of aresearch site. Closed threeyears ago due to illegal log-ging, I was thrilled to arrivein a camp without the singlesound of a chainsaw and noevidence of recent loggingactivities. The site is aGPOCP and Park Servicesuccess story, and is nowbeing rebuilt. During ourfirst morning trek, we got no


Return to Gunung Palung Buoys Hope of VeteranResearcher at GPOCP


www.orangutan.com

OC Facts

Orangutan Conservancyhelped fund infrastruc-ture and research atGunung Palung in 2007

Illegal logging activities havediminished in some key re-search sites at GunungPalung

By Marc Ancrenaz

The Kinabatangan Orangu-tan Conservation Project(KOCP) was cheered by anumber of developmentsthat included governmentsupport for protecting theforest habitats of orangutansand re-connecting their his-torical rangeland.

In June, the Federal andState Governments officiallylaunched a program aimedat claim-ing backall ripar-ian forestreservesthat hadbeen de-stroyedand planted with oil palmsalong the KinabatanganRiver. One of the majorthreats to the integrity of theLower Kinabatangan WildlifeSanctuary is habitat frag-mentation that is resultingfrom extensive developmentof oil palm plantations, andthis campaign consists ofreclaiming the Riparian For-est Reserve that had beenplanted with oil palms over astrip of about 50-60 metersalong the river.

All palm trees will bechopped down and de-stroyed as part of the cam-paign, and native trees willbe replanted in order to re-connect the differentpatches of forest that arefound along the river and tolink up together all the lots ofthe LKWS. Approximately200 palms were destroyedfor the launching of the cam-paign, with several thousandmore due to be removed inthe coming months.

Although a 50-meter strip isa narrow passage, this is agood start for recreating atrue corridor of natural habi-tat along the KinabatanganRiver. Indeed, the KOCPshowed earlier that habitatfragmentation was the majorthreat to the long-termorangutan survival in Kina-batangan. By restoring corri-dors of forests and by linkingthe different lots of the sanc-tuary we hope to rectify this

issue. Theact of re-claimingthe ripar-ian forestreserveshas to beseen as

the first step for recreating anatural situation whereorangutans, elephants andother species will be givenback a chance to roamfreely along the river.

A two-week field expeditionto the Ulu Segama–Malua(USM) forest was conductedby KOCP in June. This ex-pedition helpedsecure an ex-tensive databank onorangutans andother wildlifepopulationsliving through-out USM. Thisinformation wascompiled in aninternal reportreport that hasbeen submittedto the SabahForestry Depart-ment. Our recom-mendations for

managing wild-life within USM

KOCP Welcomes Projects to Remove Palms,Restore Forests Along Kinabatangan River

www.orangutan.com


OC Facts

Orangutan Conservancyprovided funding forKOCP’s GIC Unit in 2007

will be a major chapter for the“USM Forest ManagementPlan”, expected to be pro-duced at the end of 2007. Thisplan gives a major emphasis tothe long-term conservation ofthe 2,000 orangutans that areliving in these forests.

Day-to-day activities at theKOCP study site brought aninteresting sighting of “PakLummun”, a flanged male thathad vanished from our studysite for the past three years.This new encounter indicatesthat flanged males can leavean area where they have es-tablished a regular presencefor extensive periods of time,before returning. Etin andSam, the two young sub-adultmales that we have been fol-lowing over the past nine yearsare still roaming within ourstudy site: they spend most oftheir time in association, pay-ing a visit to their respectivemothers (Jenny and Maria) onan irregular basis.

(Marc Ancrenaz is director ofKOCP)

KOCP Reports Orangutan Twins

Orangutan twins were spotted at least twicerecently at the Lower Kinabatangan region ineastern Sabah, in what is believed to be thefirst-ever documented sighting of twins in thewild.

Cardiff University wildlife geneticist Dr BenoitGoossens saw the twins clinging to theirmother at the banks of the Kinabatanganriver on Oct 23. Several days later, Kina-batangan Orang Utan Conservation Project(KOCP) field assistant Mohd Daisah Kapar,who was out on assignment to monitor pri-mates, saw the mother and her twins at theResang river, a tributary of the Kinabatangan.Goossens said the babies were probably notmore than 6 months old.

tween three to 10 months inthe socialization phases,depending upon individualneeds and physical develop-ment.

The Forest Schools are ar-eas within Samboja Lestarithat have been designatedfor use by orangutans forskill-learning in a naturalforest. During the daylight

hours,orangu-tans arefree tomove inthe trees(undersupervi-sion, as

data is collected daily) togain much-needed forestexpertise. They are taken tosleeping cages only at sun-down, where an eveningsnack awaits them.

The older orangutans, whohave exhibited forest skillssuch as nest-building andtree-climbing, are moved tothe Halfway House, a smallforest area where they con-tinue to develop survivalskills. The average time anorangutan spends in theHalfway House is sixmonths,although itis some-timeslonger, de-pending onthe avail-ability andsuitability ofreleasesites.

The finalreleasephase oc-curs when

a suitable site is found andorangutans have shown therequired elements to survivein a natural forest. Orangu-tans that are release candi-dates are grouped accordingto correct sex-ratio, size,and age. All release sitesare studied initially to ensurethe availability of fruit treesand fallback foods. As animportant official require-ment and recommendationunder the International Un-ion for the Conservation ofNature (IUCN), there shouldbe no viable wild popula-tions of orangutans in anyrelease site and the siteshould be geographicallyisolated.

Knowing that conservation ismost effective when involv-ing local communities,Wanariset’s staff worksclosely with local communi-ties to raise support andawareness. The center co-operates with local farmersliving nearby to provide fruitsand vegetables for the ani-mals, and also carries outenvironmental educationcampaigns by visiting areaschools.

Wanariset Orphans Attend Forest School toPrepare for Return to the Wild


www.orangutan.com

It is a typical morning in theoutskirts of Balikpapan City,East Kalimantan, and a bandof creatures with brown hairwalks alongside several hu-mans in uniform. Some ofthese creatures hold them-selves on the humans’ feetor are carried in the humans’arms. This band of primatesis heading to the forest.This procession occurs dailyat theBOSWanarisetOrangutanReintro-ductionProject inEast Kali-mantan, Indonesia. Ofcourse, the brown-hairedcreatures are orangutans inthe midst of the rehabilitationprocess, and the humansare babysitters and techni-cians who accompany them.The forest where they areheaded is a place to learnhow to survive in their newhomes.Wanariset currently houses219 rehabilitated oraguntansand was established to reha-bilitate the orphans confis-cated by the governmentand prepare them for releaseback into the forest.

Once they have clearedquarantine, the orangutansare placed in Forest Schoolswith animals of a similar ageand temperament. The vastmajority of orangutans arriv-ing at the center are under10 years of age; thereforethey are still in need of somesocial interaction and learn-ing. The animals are ob-served and records are keptof individual development.Orangutans may spend be-

OC Facts

Orangutan Conservancyhelped fund the SambojaLestari Forest School in2007

Over 200 orphans are housed at Wanariset.

thusiastic about the opportu-nities and each District hasalready now set up a specialworking group to developthe concept further. Over thenext year or two the aim isto establish a consortiuminvolving the three govern-ments, NGO’s and other

(Continued from page 6)

and Central Tapanuli Dis-tricts in North Sumatra un-dertook a study tour to EastBorneo to see first hand howthe Sungai Wain Conserva-tion Forest is managed andprotected by the local gov-ernment there. All were en-

stakeholders and a compre-hensive management planfor conserving this forestarea and its importantorangutan population, themost southern wild popula-tion in Sumatra.

(Ian Singleton is director ofConservation for SOCP)

SOCP Welcomes Return to Research, Rehabilitation Activities

could help communitymembers improve their live-lihoods and find alternativesto logging and palm oil. Ileft Ketapang excited to besharing in the success ofGPOCP and our local part-ners. Challenges remain,but the leaps and boundswe have made in the pro-gram in its first seven yearsis encouraging.

I arrived in Jakarta with afull slate of meetings withgovernment agencies andpartners. The week aheaddid not seem so daunting,however, as my experi-ences in Ketapang and theNational Park gave me con-fidence to report all thegreat work the staff andpartners have been doing inthe past few years. Iheaded home withKetapang’s sights, smellsand sounds still fresh, ea-ger to update my family andcolleagues on these posi-tive developments, and al-ready looking forward to mynext visit.

(Dr. Cheryl Knott is the founderof the Gunung Palung Orangu-tan Conservation Program(GPOCP); Jamie Kemsey ofthe GPOCP contributed to thisarticle.)

GPOCP Works with Local Communities to EstablishLegal Ownership of Rainforests, Halt Logging

www.orangutan.com


(Continued from page 7)

further than 400 feet from

camp before spotting anorangutan and her plumptwo-year old baby, high in aSyzygium tree. I recognizedher as my old friend, Eliza-beth, one of the females myteam has followed for hun-dreds of hours. On the triphome we spotted anotherfemale and two juvenilespeering from their well cam-ouflaged perch. Fiveorangutans in less than 24hours is encouraging!

What a switch from my lastvisit where we were facedwith the shocking evidenceof logging within the site. Infact, reports are that all log-ging has stopped in the Na-tional Park!

In the past few years, therapid expansion of hugepalm oil plantations has sup-planted illegal logging as thenumber one threat to areaforests and orangutan popu-lations, although loggingcontinues and is still a majorchallenge in the areas bor-dering the Park. This wasevident in the reports I re-ceived of illegally held or-phaned orangutans.GPOCP staff worked with

our partners to confiscate sixorphans in the first sevenmonths of 2007 in forestsnear the park – where thethreat from oil palm is every-where. I was happy to hear,however, that five of the sixwere sent to experiencedrehabilitation facilities andthey are all doing well. Thesixth was his own successstory: GPOCP worked withits partners to release himback into local forest withsuitable habitat, as he wasjudged to be old enough tosurvive on his own. The lastwe saw of him, he was eat-ing well and doing fine in hisnew home.

I got a chance to see first-hand how we are helping tocombat the emerging oilpalm threat through our visitto the village of RiamBerasap. This communitycame to us last year for helpin their efforts to 'say no' topalm oil companies planning.We are working with them toachieve legal ownership oftheir village forests to savethem from palm oil conver-sion. My visit included a vil-lage meeting where wespent hours cross-legged onthe floor, sipping sweet hottea and discussing how


www.orangutan.com

Orangutan Crisis Coalition To Seek Alliances withSocially Conscious Corporations

(Continued from Page 1)

Europe, primarily through zooprograms and the promotion of“orangutan-friendly” productsand companies. Preliminarytalks are under way with New-man’s Own, Johnson & John-son, and H.J. Heinz, amongothers, to promote their prod-ucts in return for OCC sponsor-ship and support.

Petitions will also be circulatedat AZA institutions, calling forthe Governments of Indonesiaand Malaysia to protect wildorangutans and their habitat.These petitions will be pre-sented by a delegation of U.S.zoo officials that is tentativelyscheduled to visit SoutheastAsia in 2009.

The OCC will also establish a

keeper exchange program be-

tween the AZA and field pro-

jects in Sumatra and Borneo.

OCC Crafted toUnite Parties

In an effort to create awarenessand support for orangutan con-servation issues, the OrangutanCrisis Coalition will seek to part-ner with socially-conscious cor-poration and manufacturers thatmake product that do not harmorangutan habitats.

Although palm oil is found inhundreds of household items —and its harvest is responsiblefor the destruction of vast tractsof rainforest — sustainable yieldpalm oil is becoming increas-ingly popular and does not farmorangutan habitats.

Among the companies andproducts the OC and theOrangutan Crisis Coalitionsupport are:

Newman’s Own

Johnson & Johnson

Cadbury Schweppes

Banquet

Dove

Birds Eye

Heinz

Kellogs

Bertoli

Unilever

The Orangutan Conservancy wouldlike to thank its supporters and the

following organizations in 2007!

Friends of the Kansas City Zoo

Great Ape Trust of Iowa

Great Beginnings (CA)

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

Henry Doorly Zoo

Omaha Zoological Society

Hogle Zoo / Utah Zoological Park

Houston Zoo

Jackson Zoological Park

Jardin Zoologique du Quebec

Kansas City Zoo Docents

Milwaukee County Zoo / AAZK

Oregon Zoo Foundation

Rocky Mountain AAZK

Rolling Hills Zoo

St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis AAZK

St. Paul’s Como Zoo

Toledo Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo

Zoo Assistance Fund, Greater LosAngeles Zoo Association

Zoo Atlanta

Arcus Foundation

Big Blue Foundation

Endangered Species Chocolate

Folkmanis

Gannet Foundation

Monkey Business Production

ACE-Ape Conservation Fund

The Hankin Foundation

Wildlife Art Studio

Chevron Employee MatchingProgram

American Association of Zoo-keepers (AAZK)

Brookfield Zoo

Capron Zoo

Chaffee Zoological Gardens

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cincinnati Zoo

Columbus Zoo

Como Zoo & Conservation Soci-ety

Denver Zoological Foundation

Erie Zoo

Fresno Zoological Foundation

www.orangutan.com

P.O. Box 2113

Aptos, CA 95001-2113 USA

YOU CAN HELP ORANGUTAN CONSERVANCY HELP THE ORANGUTANS!

Adopt an orangutan

Donate your old cell phone and used ink cartridges to our recycling programs

Establish a legacy gift or charitable giving account

Buy a "Gift from the Heart" for your loved ones this holiday season

Become an OC volunteer

Become a member of OC today!

For more information on how you can help, visit us online at

www.orangutan.com and select “Can You Help?”

ORANGUTAN CONSERVANCY MERCHANDISE ISNOW AVAILABLE!

T-Shirts

Hats

Tote Bags

Go to www.zazzle.com/orangutan to mix and matchyour favorite colors and styles. A portion of the proceedsof each sale will go to fund Orangutan Conservancy pro-grams in Borneo and Sumatra.

Great Prices!

Help Save

Orangutans!

Mugs

Buttons

Magnets

Aprons

PostageStamps

Orangutan

Conservancy islisted with ebay’s

Missionfish!

ID# 21363

volume 10, no. 1 oc launches orangutan crisis …...teng to support rehabilitation projects. nyaru...

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