The Orangutans Have Moved Home! The Volunteers Hard Work Has Paid Off!

Posted by Connor Whelan on 14th Mar 2017

You may remember that earlier this year we brought you news on what the volunteers had been getting up to on the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Volunteer Project over in Borneo in 2016, and now we can bring you another update on the volunteer’s hard work.

In 2016 our orangutan volunteers spent time helping to build new climbing structures and platforms on the “orangutan islands” at the sanctuary. Once completed, these islands were to become the new home of some of the orangutans being cared for and rehabilitated at Samboja.

Exciting news came in from our volunteer coordinator at the project, Kate, as she informed us that late last week the first of the orangutans that would be calling the islands home made the move! All of the orangutans that were on island 5 made the move to the new and improved island 2, so that they would be able to enjoy the platforms, hammocks, barrels, and climbing structures, all of which volunteers played a part in helping to build!

Here we can see Alejandro and Maureen being put on the islands after their yearly check-ups, and please don’t worry as both apes were carefully monitored as they slowly became aware of their new surroundings! As the picture below shows, the orangutans soon came to terms with their new home and Alejandro and his mum Abel were seen relaxing in a barrel together shortly after the move took place.

One of the next projects that will be taking place at Samboja is to fix up island 5 to enable the big male orangutan Romeo and four females to live there, so if you’re heading out to Samboja Lestari you could be involved in helping to complete another orangutan island!

We will keep you up to date with how the orangutans are getting on ion their new home, so keep your eyes peeled! We would also like to extend our huge thanks for our volunteers who have made all of this possible, so well done!

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Trudie Stait commented 4 years ago

I spent time here last year and it is truely life changing. From booking to leaving the whole experience was outstanding and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The mission to rehabilitate orangutan is overwhelmingly successful and they were a joy to work with. I look forward to my next trip as soon as I can.

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