Programmes in Borneo

Save the Orangutan supports the efforts in Borneo to rescue displaced and orphaned orangutans. We support activities including rescue operations performed by BOS Foundation and the local authorities. BOS Foundation rescues orangutans kept illegally as pets, or wild orangutans in life-threatening situations as a result of forest fires or deforestation.

Save the Orangutan supports the world’s largest rehabilitation centres for orangutans, namely Nyaru Menteng in the central region of Indonesian Borneo (Central Kalimantan) and Samboja Lestari in the eastern region of Indonesian Borneo (East Kalimantan). Displaced and orphaned orangutans receive care and rehabilitation at these centres. The orangutans at the centres are taught independency and skills allowing them to survive in the wild with the aim of reintroducing them to the rainforest one day.

Save the Orangutan supports the efforts in Borneo to ensure the best conditions possible for those orangutans who cannot be reintroduced to the rainforest due to injuries or illnesses. They live in as natural surroundings as possible on protected island sanctuaries where they are still able to receive veterinary care. No orangutan should have to spend their life in a cage. All orangutans in captivity deserve a life in freedom - no matter the conditions.

Save the Orangutan supports the efforts in Borneo to protect the remaining rainforest and thereby the wild orangutan populations. Not only do we help the orangutans when we protect the forest, we also conserve some of the most species-rich ecosystems in the world. We support efforts including the conservation of the Mawas area, which is home to more than 2,500 wild orangutans, and the Rungan River area, which is home to almost 2,000 wild orangutans.

Huge forested areas in Borneo have been destroyed as a result of logging, drainage, and forest fires. The forest degradation has even affected several protected areas. Save the Orangutan supports the efforts to restore the degraded forest areas. This will create habitats for the orangutans and improve the carrying capacity of the protected forest areas. Additionally, it will make the remaining forest more resistant to forest fires and illegal activities. Initiatives supported by Save the Orangutan include the replanting of Rantau Upak (southern Mawas), and blocking of drainage canals in the Mawas peat forest.

Involving indigenous communities in our projects is crucial to the long-term protection of the wild orangutan populations and the Bornean rainforest. In Indonesia, 30-50 million indigenous people are dependent on the forests in which they live. Securing and improving their rights and living conditions is one of the most effective means to conserve and protect forests. Consequently, cooperation with indigenous communities plays a vital role in our conservation projects and projects aiming to protect the wild orangutan populations.