What We Do
The 'work' of saving orangutans involves many partners, projects and activities. Since our founding in 2007, Orangutan Outreach has carefully nurtured the relationships we have with our partners in the field. We've always taken a holistic view of 'orangutan conservation' and tried to do our best to help wherever and whenever problems arise. The following is what we like to call The 5 "Rs" of Red Ape Relief.
Rescues
Orangutan Outreach supports the rescue of orphaned and displaced orangutans across Indonesia. Some rescued orangutans need to be relocated to a safer area of the forest. Others, such as babies and injured orangutans, are brought to rehabilitation centers and cared for as long as necessary. If there is an orangutan in captivity or in danger, we will do everything in our power to help them. To this end we are constantly funding emergency operations and making sure our core partners always have the funds to carry out rescue operations. Click here to learn more.
Rehabilitation
Once an orangutan is rescued and taken to an orangutan care center, the little ape begins rehabilitation. The purpose of rehab is to equip orphaned orangutans with the skills they need to survive once they are old enough to be reintroduced to the forest. We support the care of rescued orangutans through their entire rehabilitation journey. Orangutans may spend up to 10 years in rehabilitation during which time they receive skills training, proper nutrition, professional veterinary care and as much TLC as they need. Click here to read more.
Releases
We celebrate when each orangutan completes their rehabilitation and look forward to the time they will be reintroduced to the forest. This exciting moment is referred to as an orangutan release. Orangutans that have necessary survival skills are released into safe areas of protected forest. The apes are then tracked by post-release monitoring teams for up to 18 months to assure they are thriving in their new home. The goal is for released orangutans to reproduce and contribute to new wild orangutan populations. Release operations are very costly and Orangutan Outreach assures our partners have the necessary funds for this crucial endeavor. Click here to read more.
Retirement (Cage-Free Sanctuary Space)
While the hope is to rehabilitate every orangutan rescued and return them to the forest, this is not always possible. Some orangutans lack the necessary skills due to the extended time they spent in captivity. There are also some orangutans that suffer from infectious diseases or have severe physical limitations. These orangutans are referred to as "unreleasable". The goal is to provide each of these orangutans with a retirement in which they can live the rest of their lives with dignity and respect. Orangutan Outreach is working with our partners to provide these orangutans the chance to live outside of cages in a forested sanctuary space. Click here to read more.
Reforestation
Orangutan Outreach is proud to support several large-scale reforestation projects. We provide the finances needed to restore huge areas of forest that were destroyed in years past. Reforesting land that has been burned and logged is an essential part of orangutan conservation. Our work to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned and displaced orangutans is just a part of the solution. We also MUST assure there is healthy, suitable forest in which to release the orangutans! This is the only way to maintain viable wild populations of the beautiful red apes. We are doing everything we can to make sure that there will be orangutan habitat for years to come! Click here to read more.
While most of our work focuses directly on the orangutans, there is much more that needs to be done in order for conservation efforts to be successful. Let us tell you about a few more important "Rs".
Rapid Response
We support local villagers in their work to prevent forest fires and rescue orangutans before they are killed or hurt. One innovative program is an all-female fire-fighting team managed by YIARI in West Kalimantan. Click here to read more.
Raise Awareness
Orangutan Outreach empowers Indonesian youth conservationists and activists so they may educate their country about the plight of the orangutans. Click here to read more.
Reach Out
We connect with people everywhere in the real world and online to help them learn about orangutans. We hope this leads to caring about the red apes and taking action to help save them. #ApesTogetherStrong Click here to read more.
Respect for the Law
Orangutan Outreach supports Indonesian attorneys who are working within the Indonesian legal system to protect critically endangered orangutans and enforce the laws with respect to orangutans. Click here to read more.
Research
We provide funds for the operation of field research camps which provide vital information about rainforest biodiversity. Our help ranges from building walkways to providing emergency funds for camp repairs. Click here to read more.
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