In this article we share more about one of our longest running projects, and how it all began, the orangutan rescues. This rescue story is only from a couple of weeks ago.
“We received the alert of an orangutan mother and baby wandering in a large, almost completely deforested area. The rescue team of five grabbed the rescue equipment and set out immediately. The journey to the site took over 6 hours, and when we got there it was dark. We waited until sunrise to search the area where the orangutans were last seen.
It was a wasteland, with barely a tree in sight. How could any orangutan survive in this? It was clear that we needed to find the orangutans and move them if they were to survive. We spent over 2 days searching, finding signs of their presence.
Finally, we found the mother and baby in a lone tree, miles from where they were last seen. The mother orangutan was in a bad state. She was skinny and weak, and she showed signs of an injury on her hand.
We successfully darted the mother, allowing for a safe rescue and the opportunity to examine them both. Fortunately, the wound on the mother was not serious and our vet was able to treat it on the spot.
We decided to call the orangutan mother Pia and her infant daughter Ipa.
The vet checked them over thoroughly and declared that Pia and Ipa were healthy enough to not need further medical attention. So, we put Pia and Ipa into a transport carrier together and, rather than going to a rescue center, we were able to transport them to a safe area of forest for release.”
We put together a little video from the photos that the team took to highlight how important it is that we continue to secure safe habitats for orangutans.
If you would like to help, you can make a difference to orangutans and the safety of their habitats by donating to us here.
We support conservation activities on the ground which protect the orangutan and its rainforest habitat, including restoring peatland and planting trees, creating wildlife corridors, preventing and fighting fires, empowering communities and educating people, and orangutan rescue and translocations.