RESCUE – THE FIRST STEP TO A BETTER TOMORROW
Every year, thousands of orangutans are displaced or killed due to mass deforestation, rampant forest fires, poaching for human consumption and the illegal wildlife trade. Whenever an orangutan survives their trauma or is reported captive, we at BOS are ready to rescue and rehabilitate them.
We can only imagine what these rescued orangutans have endured, but we do everything we can to save their lives and, whenever possible, return them to their true home in the wild. Even in more complex situations when orangutans were smuggled to other countries, we have worked with Indonesian authorities to bring them back to Borneo, like our beloved Taymur, who recently graduated from Forest School with flying colours and is now thriving on Badak Besar Pre-Release Island.
PLEASE HELP US RESCUE MORE ORANGUTANS: bit.ly/Rescue-Appeal
Most of our rescued orangutans are innocent babies illegally kept as pets in tiny cages, chained in deplorable conditions, or fearfully roaming around and fighting for their lives because poachers, loggers or fires killed their mums. We could tell you hundreds of stories that break your heart. Just looking at some of these orphans – malnourished, dehydrated, wounded and traumatised – is difficult to comprehend.
But there is hope. We luckily receive hints, calls, and messages about displaced or captured orangutans. Many are handed over to us by the Central or East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency. Also, local villagers may discover roaming babies and bring them to our centres.
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- Topan
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- Valentino
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- Niniek
Immediate evaluation is key
In case the rescue team finds an adult orangutan in distress, our BOS veterinarians sedate and examine them right on the spot. Healthy orangutans are relocated to a safe forest while the team transports sick or injured individuals to one of our rescue centres for further evaluation.
Upon arrival at the sanctuary, every orangutan receives a thorough medical check-up, vaccinations, and necessary treatments from our skilled and devoted veterinarians. Severely injured or malnourished patients require urgent and 24-hour intensive care, like little Topan, a long-time member of our adoption family.
PLEASE HELP US PROVIDE URGENTLY NEEDED CARE: bit.ly/Rescue-Appeal
The tiny girl was only eight months old when she was rescued in October 2017 by a local villager who found her weak and alone by a riverbank. Topan must have just lost her mum and was suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition, weighing only one and a half kilograms.
Upon arrival at the sanctuary, every rescued orangutan receives a thorough medical check-up, vaccinations, and necessary treatments.
Fight for life and death
The BOS medical team was extremely concerned and fighting for Topan’s life for days. Thanks to their dedication and the little female’s strong will to survive, Topan recovered and is now a 6-year-old curious, strong and skilled student at Forest School.
Once the team has evaluated a newly rescued orangutan, they proceed into quarantine. Here, the orangutans are under round-the-clock tender loving care for three months as they recover from diseases, wounds and hidden traumas.
PLEASE HELP US GIVE RESCUED ORANGUTANS A FUTURE: bit.ly/Rescue-Appeal
During this time, the veterinarians also conduct genetic tests to ensure that each individual can be identified throughout their lifetime. In addition, these tests help to determine the specific subspecies to which a rescued orangutan belongs, which is crucial information for deciding where to release them if they qualify for a life in the wild. It is important to keep the gene pools of the Central and East Kalimantan subspecies separate to prevent any negative impact on their already critically endangered survival.
As soon as the quarantine is over, we place each orangutan into the appropriate stage of the rehabilitation process. The youngest ones join the nursery group while the juveniles start forest school – and so their journey to freedom and a brighter future begins.
