Socializing
Learning to be orangutans
The larger orangutans are carefully evaluated before deciding where to place them. As a general rule they will be place in so called “socialization” cages where they live together with 10-15 other orangutans and will learn how to live in a group.
Most of the confiscated orangutans have been brought up chained to something in order to restrict their movements and keep them tethered to the ground– lest they mange to escape, which they would naturally do. They have also been living with humans as their only companions. It is therefore imperative for them to get to know other orangutans and create their own social network before being released into the wild.
While all this is going on, they are carefully observed by the BOS staff. They are observed when climbing, eating and building their nests. There is a log book for each individual, so the staff can keep track of them all.
Many confiscated orangutans have been raised on rice, tea, coffee and other human food, and they have to be weaned off this as soon as possible. In the socialization cages they are given milk and a large choice of fruits several times a day. Towards the end of the day the orangutans are given branches by the staff in order to build their nests. The orangutans help each other build nests within the cages. In the wild orangutans live in nests that are 40 feet above the ground and normally build a new nest every night. Up in the trees there are no mosquitoes, which are present in the cages. In the cages, the orangutans often use sleeping bags and blankets to protect them from insects.
The socialization cages are located inside the centers and there are guards around the clock. Sometimes the orangutans manage to escape from the cages– which often leads to a wild chase around the area to capture the fugitives. This can be a positive experience as the staff can observe and evaluate how well the orangutans climb and make their way through the forest. As a rule most escapees return home in the evening in time for the last glass of milk.
When the orangutans have shown that they can handled themselves in the socialization cages without any problems it is time for the next move.
The big move
Once the orangutans can successfully fend for themselves it is time for them to move to a so-called halfway house– located a little more than half a mile from the center. The orangutans that make it here are halfway to their new life as wild forest dwellers. The new home consists of a large socialization cage, a small pond and lots of tree and forest to play in.
Human contact at the halfway home is purposely limited. Four people work at this site and are responsible for 3 to 4 orangutans per person. Every morning the caretakers gather and go into the forest where, during the day, the orangutans are free to roam wild. The orangutans can climb the trees, look for food or build nests. This is where the actual rehabilitation process starts.
The more time the orangutans spend in the trees the better. They are fed fruit that is placed on long sticks so that they down have to climb down from the trees unnecessarily. Wild orangutans rarely spends any time on the ground so it is important that they learn to spend more and more time up in the tress.
Late in the afternoon the groups gather again. If any of the orangutans feels like spending the night up in the trees they are free do so. In the beginning most of the orangutans tend to follow their group home and spend their night at the house, but eventually they prefer to stay out all night.
Once the orangutans have learned to build solid nests and are choosing to stay in the forest more often, it is time for the next stage in the rehabilitations process: the Island.
