Borneo Orangutan Survival on ABC's Nightline TONIGHT

[Guest guest]

A special report airs tonight on ABC’s Nightline from BOS Nyaru Menteng: The

Plight of the Red Apes ABC News Gets a Rare Glimpse at Borneo's Orangutan Rehab

Project By MARGARET CONLEY

BORNEO, Indonesia, Dec. 7, 2007

The orangutan population is in danger and seriously on the decline due to

hunting, illegal trade and deforestation. Some say they may become extinct

within the next decade.

Hope for their survival rests in a safe haven in Borneo at a sanctuary called

Nyaru Menteng.

The orphaned and often injured orangutans are brought here and put through a

rehabilitation program before being released back into the wild.

Lone Droscher-Nielsen, an orangutan enthusiast from Denmark, co-founded the

project with the Bornean Orangutan Society (BOS) with the support of local

forestry officials.

" It all started when I came here on holiday in 1993. I came back and stayed, "

Droscher-Nielsen told ABC News. A personal passion project, Droscher-Nielsen

even welcomed orangutans into her own home -- to live with her while she cared

for them. [input]

Over seven years, she has had anywhere from 12 to 24 animal roommates. It

wasn't until recently that she got her house back to herself.

Today what's left of the orangutan population exists only in the rainforests

of Borneo and northern Sumatra in Indonesia. Orangutans have close to 97 percent

of the same genetic makeup as humans and are arguably the most intelligent of

the primates. The word " orangutan, " derived from Malay and Indonesian,

translates to " person of the forest. "

These forest people spend most of their time hanging around in trees -- their

arms may reach up to 6.5 feet -- significantly longer than their 4-5 foot

bodies.

The sanctuary, an hour and a half flight from Jakarta, is nestled in a quiet,

isolated location surrounded by lush tropical trees. It has 183 staff members

for 641 orangutans, allowing for a ratio of a little over three orangutans per

person.

On the first day of arrival, each orangutan is quarantined for one to two

weeks. They receive a general health checkup, are treated for parasites and

tested for tuberculosis and hepatitis A, B and C. Visitors to the sanctuary are

advised to stay at least 25 feet away from the animals to protect both species.

The youngest orangutans, under 2 and a half years old, are taken to baby

school. Some wear diapers. They are encouraged to climb trees and make nests.

The 2- and 3-year-olds have class every day where they learn how to be

orangutans. They are led by the staff, some holding their hands as they walk, to

forest school where they are encouraged to find food on their own and relearn

the skills necessary to survive in the forests again.

They train their muscles to survive in the forest in an area specially

designed to replicate tree branches and trunks with swinging ropes and tires.

Their day ends back at the sanctuary for socialization time where they learn to

mix with other orangutans. [input]

The older residents of the sanctuary hang out on prerelease islands that staff

visit daily to feed and check on their health. But for the most part they are

left to their own devices as this is the last step in the rehabilitation process

before they are allowed to go feral.

Droscher-Nielsen and BOS hope their hard work will pay off so the orangutans

can return safely to their natural habitat. So far, they have been successful

with 36 orangutans now living back in the wild.

But the fight for survival is an uphill battle, as the orangutan's habitat is

increasingly threatened. Their homes are being destroyed, logged, burned, or

planted over, in some cases illegally, in a developing country whose income

relies on natural resources. Recently much of the orangutan's land has been

turned into palm oil plantations. Palm oil is a widely produced edible vegetable

oil, commonly used for cooking and cosmetics.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, in Borneo and Sumatra the orangutan

population has declined by 30-50 percent in the last 10 years, with just over

60,000 orangutans left that survive.

Droscher-Nielsen and her team work seven days a week at the sanctuary to try

to save the last of the orangutans, one life at a time.

Story: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=3969647 & page=1

Slide show: http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=3964458

Video preview of report here:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3970644

 

 

 

Michelle Desilets, Director

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

" Primates Helping Primates "

 

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