Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 
We LOVE orangutans and we know you do too!

Orangutan Outreach frequently receives questions from orangutan lovers all around the world – many regarding volunteering, visiting, and helping orangutans.

To help ease your curiosity, we've created this Frequently Asked Question page! This is an evolving list, so keep checking back to see new FAQs.

Thank you for all your questions about orangutans! If you have a question not answered here, please contact us.

 

General Info About Orangutans

  • Orangutans are the only great apes that live in Asia (all the other great apes – gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos – live in Africa).
  • Orangutans are found in only two places on Earth – on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in SE Asia.
  • There are three species of orangutans: Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (Pongo abelii), and Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis). All three species are critically endangered.

Orangutans are found in the countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, both in SE Asia. Sumatran orangutans and Tapanuli orangutans live only on the island of Sumatra which is a part of the country of Indonesia. Bornean orangutans live only on the island of Borneo, and that island is transnational. Part of the island belongs to the country of Malaysia and the larger part belongs to the country of Indonesia. (A tiny part of the island belongs to Brunei but there are no wild orangutans in Brunei).

  • Orangutans share approximately 97% of our human DNA and are very much like us.
  • The study of orangutans gives us information about human evolution.
  • If we cannot save an animal so closely related to humans, what hope do the rest of the species have?
  • Orangutans are intelligent, sentient beings that deserve our compassion.
  • As seed dispersers and nest builders, orangutans are important to the health of rainforests. And rainforests are very important to the health of the planet.
  • They’re awesome. Once you get to know an orangutan you’ll never be the same.

In the wild, their average lifespan is 45-50 years, but it could be longer. They have been known to live longer in captivity.
Deforestation: The rainforests where the orangutans live are being cut down and cleared in order to collect the trees and to make space for agriculture, including small and large farms. The biggest cause of deforestation is palm oil plantations. The African oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) is planted across huge areas of Borneo and Sumatra. The fruit from these trees is harvested to obtain palm oil – a form of edible vegetable oil that is used in many foods and household products, and it is in huge demand.
Possible Solution: Lessen the demand for products containing palm oil by switching to products that are palm oil free; or create a demand for sustainably sourced palm oil by purchasing products that use sustainable palm oil.

Illegal capture: It is illegal in Indonesia and Malaysia to hunt, capture, harm, kill, or own an orangutan. However, infant orangutans are still sought after for sale in the illegal exotic pet trade. Local people go into the forest to find and capture baby orangutans. A baby orangutan will always be with its mother. The only way to get a baby orangutan away from its mother is to kill the mother.
Possible Solution: Support orangutan conservation organizations to assure that captive infants can be rescued, rehabilitated, and eventually returned to the forest where they belong.

All three species of orangutans are critically endangered and their population numbers continue to decrease. Orangutans need our help in order to survive. Orangutans may disappear forever unless humans fight hard to protect them. More people need to understand the importance of orangutans. As seed dispersers, orangutans are important to the health of rainforests. And rainforests are very important to the health of the planet. Additionally, orangutans are incredible animals. Orangutans share approximately 97% of our human DNA. If we do not care to save an animal so closely related to humans, what would that mean for other species? Orangutans are intelligent, sentient beings that deserve our compassion. More and more people are realizing this and more people are fighting to protect them. Working together, we can save the orangutan species.
There are three species of orangutans: Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (Pongo abelii), and Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis). All three species are critically endangered. Species are categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A species is considered critically endangered if it has an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. This is based on current numbers of individuals; how quickly the species can reproduce and repopulate; the number of individuals needed for a viable, stable population; and the threats the species face.
Orangutans have a very slow reproductive rate. Females are around age 13-15 when they first reproduce. Orangutans have a long inter-birth period of 8-9 years. That means one female orangutan may only have 3 or 4 offspring in her lifetime. So orangutans are already vulnerable to extinction as their populations do not naturally grow quickly. The added pressures caused by deforestation, fires, and hunting makes it almost impossible for orangutan as a species to survive.
Healthy and undisturbed rainforest habitat is critical for orangutans and it is vital that we protect what currently remains. Deforestation is a major threat to orangutans. The rainforests where the orangutans live are being cut down and cleared in order to collect the trees and to make space for agriculture, including small and large farms. As orangutans move away from deforested areas, they come into closer contact with villages, causing human-orangutan conflicts. Another problem from destroying forests is that less suitable habitat remains for future reintroduction of rescued orangutans. There are 1000+ orangutans in rehabilitation centers and there is not enough safe space to release them back to the forest where they belong.

Orangutans cannot survive without the rainforests as the trees of the forests provide orangutans their home and their food. It is also equally true that the rainforests cannot survive without the orangutans. Orangutans are the gardeners of the forest, and they keep it thriving. Orangutans are important seed dispersers, assuring that the trees will continue to grow. In addition, the way in which orangutans bend down tree branches to make nests allows light to penetrate down into the forest.

Humans as well as orangutans need healthy forests. Rainforests are the lungs of the Earth. The forests are full of trees that produce oxygen, store carbon dioxide, and help control climate. Forests play an important role in our planet’s carbon cycle. Deforestation causes carbon absorption to stop, plus, the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when the wood is burned. Likewise, when areas of peat swamp forest are destroyed, huge amounts of carbon dioxide is released since peat is such a significant carbon store. All this greatly contributes to global warming which is a part of climate change. The bottom line is that destroying rainforests is a huge driver of global climate change. Losing the forest will increase the rate of climate change which will drastically affect every person on Earth.


The short answer is “yes”. The bottom line is that orangutans are completely protected by law but the laws are not enforced. When we are talking about protecting Sumatran or Tapanuli orangutans, we are dealing with the Indonesian government. When we are talking about protecting Bornean orangutans, we may be dealing with the Malaysian government or the Indonesian government. Both countries have laws. However, corruption gets in the way of enforcing those laws.

The Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) is strictly protected by Indonesian National Law No. 5/1990 on the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems. It is prohibited and illegal to capture, injure, kill, own, keep, transport, or trade an orangutan under this law. Sumatran Orangutans are also protected by international legislation, and listed on CITES Appendix I. The Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is also protected by international legislation by default because it is included within the concept of Pongo abelii.

The above acts are punishable by up to 5 year's imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of IDR 100 million (approximately $7,100 US). These punishments rarely happen. International trade of orangutans is likewise prohibited under Indonesia’s Act Number 8, 1999. Nonetheless, killing, possession and trade (primarily national) of orangutans are widespread in Indonesia.
The Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is fully protected by these Indonesian laws and similar laws in Malaysia, and is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Again, laws are not enforced. Also, orangutan forest habitat is not necessarily protected. This complicates matters tremendously.

How to Help Orangutans

To help wild orangutans, you can support the rescue and rehabilitation centers caring for the displaced and orphaned orangutans. It is also important to support the organizations working to protect forests. Donations to Orangutan Outreach support incredible organizations across Indonesia. You can also virtually adopt an orangutan on the Orangutan Outreach website and the money from the adoption will go straight to the center caring for that orangutan.

What truly makes a difference for orangutans? Read our blog here.

We can always use assistance spreading the word on the plight of wild orangutans. The best way for you to support the precious orangutans is through helping raise awareness and raise funds for them. Here are some ideas:

What truly makes a difference for orangutans? Read our blog here.

Orangutan Outreach has supporters of all ages who come up with creative ideas for fundraisers. We have seen success with bake sales, coin drives, and trivia nights. One group of 6th graders raised over $500 with an Art for Animals and Bake Sale at their school. The students created all kinds of art to sell (paintings, metal art, giant barn quilt, bookmarks and birdhouses). They also created a slideshow set to music with facts about orangutans and palm oil to play in the background at their event. Visit our Action Packs page for helpful resources.
There are many incredible organizations that are fighting against deforestation and loss of wildlife. These organizations need more recognition. Documentaries and publications that highlight excellent work deserve more coverage in the media and acknowledgement and advocacy of governments, both locally and internationally. It is important to raise awareness of the connection between the orangutans and the forest. People need to understand this important relationship between the orangutans and the forests. They need to understand the plight of wild orangutans as their forest homes are destroyed. Awareness leads to caring, and caring leads to action.

A change in mindset and a shift of consciousness is desperately needed. Humans must acknowledge that certain behaviors, desires, and greed are destroying the natural world; and we must be willing to make changes to our lifestyle and reassess our values. We must model the positive behaviors we wish to see in our fellow citizens and we must put more pressure on governments to truly safeguard the rainforests and its inhabitants.

It is also vital to realize that conservation is actually about people. We must work with local communities that live alongside the forests and animals we wish to protect. We must assure that their needs are met so they do not have to turn to harming forests and animals in order to survive. Everything is connected - people, animals, nature. We must address the needs of all to save any one.

Orangutans & Covid-19

There are three species of orangutans: Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (Pongo abelii), and Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis). All three species were listed as critically endangered prior to the pandemic. Conservation efforts were in action across Indonesia and Malaysia prior to the pandemic, led by various respected non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
We assume this virus can spread within the orangutan population. Since orangutans share approximately 97% of our human DNA and are susceptible to many of the same illnesses as humans, we believe that orangutans are susceptible to the coronavirus. It is a very real and frightening possibility.

There have been cases of transmission of Covid-19 from humans to great apes (gorillas under human care), and the potential for transmission remains very real. We must address and manage this crisis situation, especially as we do not know the impact that Covid-19 may have on orangutans. It may affect them less than humans, but it also may be even more deadly.

You can read more information here.

The operations of the orangutan conservation organizations in Indonesia have been greatly reduced as increased measures have been put in place to protect the health of the orangutans. Extreme caution is being exercised and this translates to having as little contact as possible with wild populations. Therefore, orangutan rescues and releases have been suspended or reduced, as has the post-release monitoring of rehabilitated orangutans and the following of wild orangutans.

If the coronavirus hits any of the rehabilitation centers, and is transmitted to the orangutans, it would be very difficult to control the spread. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible in some centers, to separate the large numbers of orangutans from each other. Many are housed together in the same enclosures, or are in cages next to each other. If the orangutans become sick, the results could be devastating. Just as we saw with the human outbreak, we would be trying to fight the virus with limited supplies and not enough treatments. We do not want to lose any of the special individuals in rehabilitation centers; especially as the majority of the orangutans being cared for could eventually be reintroduced to the wild.

We do not know what will happen if the virus hits the wild orangutan populations. It is possible they may not become ill at all; it is possible the virus will prove deadly to orangutans; or the effects could be somewhere in between. The orangutans may feel ill enough that it affects their foraging, mobility, and ability to protect themselves. Since there are several scenarios that could play out, it makes it difficult for orangutan conservationists to plan mitigation efforts.

Orangutans may be at lower risk for infection from the coronavirus than other primates due to their solitary nature. But some orangutan conservationists are preparing for “when” the orangutans get Covid-19, not “if”. We likely will not be able to stop the spread in wild populations of orangutans, but we can attempt to minimize deaths by locating sick animals and doing what we can for them.

We also must remember that conservation is about people. It is critical to meet the needs of the people living alongside wildlife that we wish to protect, so they do not have a need to turn to the forest for their survival. As people in Indonesia are affected by the virus, their needs will increase. If their livelihoods and basic needs are impacted, we may see increased poaching and illegal activity in the forests. Everything is connected – people, animals, nature. We must address the needs of all to save any one.

At this time Orangutan Outreach is focused on keeping the orangutan conservation organizations in Indonesia, including the rehabilitation centers, up and running. As a result of the pandemic, orangutan centers have been closed to all non-essential personnel. Volunteer programs have been put on hold and all fundraising events have been cancelled. This is having a tremendous impact on the income required to keep operations going. Critical supplies of medicines, disinfectant, soap, face masks, gloves and other PPE, which are vital to control zoonotic disease transmission, are becoming harder to source, as is the huge quantity of food needed to feed the orangutans. And prices are rising as demand grows. Orangutan Outreach and other organizations are doing what they can to secure vital funding necessary for conservation efforts to continue.
The orangutan care centers desperately need financial support at this time. Orangutan Outreach has set up an emergency Covid-19 Relief Fund and is accepting donations here. Funds from this emergency effort will benefit Orangutan Outreach partner, Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF). BOSF manages the largest orangutan care center in the world and between their two rescue facilities, BOSF cares for 400 plus orangutans. Therefore, their needs are great.

Orangutan Outreach is also securing funds for the orangutan care centers of our other Indonesian partners. These include: Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) and International Animal Rescue (IAR). We accept donations year round that are distributed between our partner organizations and can be used in such emergencies. Donations can be made in a variety of ways here.

Supporters and orangutan lovers are also invited to virtually adopt an orangutan from the Orangutan Outreach Adoption Program. The funds received from adoptions are transferred directly to the orangutan center caring for the adopted orangutans. You can learn about the orangutans available for symbolic adoption and join the Orangutan Outreach family of adoptive parents here. We greatly appreciate any support people are able and willing to give at this difficult time.

Being so closely related to humans genetically means that orangutans can contract many of the same illnesses and diseases as humans. These include: influenza, chronic respiratory disease, arthritis, diabetes, malaria, hepatitis and tuberculosis.
If an illness is life-threatening or is contagious, a rescued orangutan cannot be released back to the forest. Fortunately, many illnesses are treatable, often with the same treatment used for humans. For example, orangutans can be treated for malaria with the same medicine as humans.

Much has been learned about Hepatitis B. There is a naturally occurring strain of orangutan Hepatitis B, which is different from human Hepatitis B. The apes with orangutan Hepatitis B are releasable and many of them do not even show clinical signs of the disease. Some orangutans do show clinical signs of the orangutan Hepatitis B, but they are much milder than the human Hepatitis B. The orangutans are simply treated and then are eligible for release. Orangutans can also contract human Hepatitis B, which is much more serious and dangerous. There have been breakthroughs in the research and it can be treated much more effectively than in the past. However, there is no guarantee that an orangutan can be cured and released.

If an orangutan has Tuberculosis or any other disease that could be transferred to other orangutans and cause significant illness, that orangutan will not be released. The orangutan will not be put down, as euthanasia of orangutans is against the law in Indonesia. These unreleasable orangutans remain at the rehabilitation facility and are housed separately from other orangutans. They are provided with lifetime care. Each of our partner organizations are designing spaces for the orangutans in their care that are not able to be released due to illness, injuries, or lack of survival skills.

SOCP has almost completed their Orangutan Haven for 9 unreleasable orangutans. IAR is beginning construction on space adjacent to their rehab center for 18 unreleasable orangutans, including Pingky, Neng and JoJo. The largest project will be that of the BOS Foundation who will be building a separate sanctuary for up to 100 orangutans. Orangutan Outreach has been and will continue to fundraise for each of these projects. Learn more about unreleasable orangutans here.

Visiting & Volunteering

The orangutan care centers that Orangutan Outreach supports have always been under strict quarantine— even before Covid-19. Visitors are not allowed in the same areas as the orangutans. There are no visits allowed to Forest School, Infant Quarantines (Baby Houses), medical facilities, play areas or sleeping quarters. However, under normal circumstances, visitors to Central Kalimantan are welcome to stop by the BOS Nyaru Menteng Education Center. There is a view of orangutans, but physical contact is not permitted. In East Kalimantan BOS Samboja is also open to the public under normal circumstances. While there, you can see the orangutans on islands, but physical contact is not permitted. In Sumatra, SOCP's Orangutan Haven will eventually be open to the public. You will be able to see orangutans on islands, but once again, physical contact will not be permitted under any circumstances.

Please note: At this time, due to Covid-19, no visitors are allowed into the centers.

PLEASE NOTE: All volunteer programs with our Indonesian partners have been indefinitely suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is likely that stricter protocols will be established and enforced should the programs continue.

Volunteer work is sometimes available with our partner organizations in Indonesia but would not include contact with the orangutans. Please know that any facility that allows visitors or volunteers to hold or have any close contact with the orangutans is not following IUCN guidelines. It definitely is not in the best interest of the orangutans. Our desire to help orangutans and do what is truly best for them must outweigh our desire to cuddle them. That is actually very detrimental to their rehabilitation. Ethical volunteer work may include helping to build enclosures or creating enrichment for the orangutans. It can be very rewarding.

When volunteer opportunities are once again available they will be listed on our volunteer page.

PLEASE NOTE: All volunteer programs with our Indonesian partners have been indefinitely suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is likely that stricter protocols will be established and enforced should the programs continue.

Prior to the pandemic, volunteers were required to have a 14 day quarantine in order to volunteer. The length of required quarantines will likely increase. Certain immunizations are also required. Please avoid any volunteer or visitation opportunity with any orangutan center that does not require health screenings, immunizations, and quarantine. Unfortunately, there are centers that do not follow guidelines for great ape tourism and volunteerism. We implore you not to support these organizations and centers as they are putting profit above the health and well-being of the orangutans. All Orangutan Outreach partners strictly follow guidelines.

When volunteer opportunities are once again available they will be listed on our volunteer page.

The baby house facilities are fully staffed by Indonesians who work for our partner organizations. It is very important that these jobs go to local people. There are no opportunities to work or volunteer at the baby houses. The babies are very susceptible to illness since they have been separated from their mother. It is vital that the number of people near the babies remain very limited.

Working With Orangutans

If you want to work as an orangutan care-giver, you need as much experience as possible caring for animals of all kinds. Start to volunteer in places that put you around animals, let you care for animals, and learn to handle small animals. You have to work your way up to orangutans! As you get older, you can complete internships that will provide you with valuable experience. You then have to be willing to take several animal care jobs until you land your “dream job” working with orangutans. Working at a zoo or sanctuary as an animal care-giver also requires a bachelor’s degree in an animal, conservation, or environmental field.
It’s completely understandable that many people consider working with orangutans in Borneo or Sumatra as their dream job. You just need to be careful to separate the vision from the reality. The years of hard work are not always reflected in the photos and heartwarming videos you may come across. The romance of what you see is not reality as you are only seeing a brief moment of time.

Caring for orangutans is so much harder than it looks. Working at an orangutan rescue center in Indonesia comes with high stress levels and a flurry of emotions. The work is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s frustrating and exhausting, but exhilarating. It is extremely difficult work. One has to be willing to spend time in the field, deep in the jungles with the orangutans. This includes making peace with snakes, leeches, a wide variety of dangers, and unrelenting heat and humidity.

You must ask yourself if you are prepared to compromise, work hard and be 100 percent committed without any complaining. You must remember this work is all about what the orangutans need, not about you or your desires to bond with an orangutan. Conservationists are not there to make lasting ties with the apes. For many, orangutan conservation is a lifelong commitment through years of little or no pay and uphill battles.

Please know that there is no justifiable reason anyone other than orangutan care professionals should be holding orangutans. No tourist or volunteer should even come into close contact with a wild, habituated, or rehabilitating orangutan. It is dangerous to you and the orangutan as either of you could easily become hurt or sick. The contact may also be detrimental to the ape’s rehabilitation and release potential. The truth is, orangutans are not as cuddly as you think! Orangutans can be annoying as they grab at you, bite you and leave you full of bruises. And their fur is actually quite itchy!

Palm Oil

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil which can be used in many foods, as well as in cosmetics and household products, and as a source of biofuel. The African oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) is planted across huge areas of Borneo and Sumatra. The fruit from these trees is harvested to obtain palm oil and it is in huge demand.
The unsustainable way in which the palm oil industry functions has caused a crisis. Palm oil itself is not the enemy. It is a good crop and is able to produce more oil per hectare than other crops, such as soy. The problem is the way the palm oil industry operates. It is possible to produce palm oil in a more sustainable way, starting with reusing degraded land rather than clear cutting more and more forest. Deforestation for palm oil will continue until the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia demand and enforce sustainable practices.
Palm oil itself does not affect orangutans. It is the unsustainable way the palm oil industry functions that harms the orangutans. Palm oil manufacturers destroy the rainforest in order to create palm oil plantations. To put it simply, the orangutans’ home is being destroyed, leaving them nowhere to go. Massive deforestation is the result of the palm oil crisis. While hundreds of other bird, mammal, and fish species are affected by the palm oil industry, orangutans suffer more due to their ecology.

Loss of habitat means loss of living space and loss of fruit trees that are the orangutans’ main food source. Creation of more and more palm oil plantations also fragments the orangutan habitat. The patches of forest that are left are separated by roads and plantations. This makes it difficult for the orangutans to get from one patch of forest to another to find food or mates. Orangutans are arboreal and they do not want to come down out of the trees to cross an area on land. Their survival skills are also compromised. A mother is not able to teach her offspring how to find food when the forest is fragmented.

Orangutans are also at risk from the fires set to clear the land for palm oil plantations. They suffer from smoke pollution. Burnt landscape means the orangutans become displaced and may starve. The roads created to access palm oil plantations make the orangutans more accessible to poachers who want to hunt or capture orangutans. As orangutans move to avoid all these problems, they come into closer contact with villages causing human-orangutan conflicts.

One final problem from the palm oil industry destroying forests is that less suitable habitat remains for future reintroduction of rescued orangutans. There are thousands of orangutans in rehabilitation centers and there is not enough safe space to release them back to the forest where they belong.

This is a very real possibility. Orangutans have a very slow reproductive rate. Females are around age 13-15 when they first reproduce. Orangutans have a long inter-birth period of 8-9 years. So, one female orangutan may only have 3 or 4 offspring in her lifetime. Therefore, orangutans are already vulnerable to extinction as their populations do not naturally grow quickly. The added pressure caused by the palm oil industry makes it almost impossible for orangutan as a species to survive.
The palm oil industry is destroying forests. The forests, of course, are full of trees that produce oxygen, store carbon dioxide, and help control climate. Forests play an important role in our planet’s carbon cycle. Deforestation causes carbon absorption to stop, plus, the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when the wood is burned. Likewise, when areas of peat swamp forest are destroyed, huge amounts of carbon dioxide is released since peat is such a significant carbon store. All this greatly contributes to global warming which is a part of climate change.
The palm oil industry involves plantations and mills. The plantations use herbicides and pesticides since the oil palm planted is not a native species. These can get into the groundwater. At the mills that extract and refine the palm oil, wastewater is created called palm oil mill effluent. It has highly polluting properties. If not treated properly, it will pollute the environment.
Yes, there are other edible oils that can be used for some products. However, some other crops could be more damaging than palm oil. Palm oil itself is a productive crop. It produces 5 – 10 times more oil per acre than other crops such as soy or canola. So, if we got rid of palm oil and soy took its place, even more land would be needed. The better option is to demand that the palm oil industry function sustainably.
Palm oil can be produced sustainably. That would include using degraded land for plantations rather than continuing to destroy more forest. It also includes being environmentally responsible. Plantations that are considered sustainable also have a commitment to protect wildlife. They will not harm the orangutans that wander into the plantations. We must put pressure on the palm oil industry to function sustainably. We must contact palm oil manufacturers and purchasers and demand sustainable practices. We must write to companies that use palm oil in their food and household products and demand that they use only certified sustainable palm oil. We also must put pressure on the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to stop allowing the destruction of rainforests. Laws regarding sustainable land use and protection of orangutans must be enforced.

To help the orangutans affected, you can support the rescue and rehabilitation centers caring for the displaced and orphaned orangutans. It is also important to support the organizations working to protect forests. Donations to Orangutan Outreach support organizations across Indonesia. You can also virtually adopt an orangutan on the Orangutan Outreach website and the money from the adoption will go straight to the center caring for that orangutan.

Palm oil is a major cause of deforestation but is definitely not the only cause. Everything from small scale farming to large scale agriculture plays a part. Deforestation for paper and pulp as well as rubber is significant. Mining, logging, and large scale projects such as the creation of roads and dams also contribute. In Indonesian Borneo, forest fires are also a huge factor in forest loss. Fires are not as much of a problem in Malaysian Borneo. Indonesia has a yearly fire season that is sometimes manageable. However, climate change has intensified the fires in certain years which have had a devastating impact on the land and the wildlife.

Other factors that contribute to the loss of orangutans are hunting and capture. Orangutan babies are sought after to be kept as pets and/or to be sold in the illegal wildlife trade. The only way to capture an infant orangutan is to kill the mother. To be clear, the hunting, capture, harm, killing, or captivity of orangutans is illegal. However, the laws are ignored by citizens and not enforced by the local authorities and government.

Orangutan Jungle School

The Orangutan Jungle School series is shown on a variety of networks and platforms. Please visit our Orangutan Jungle School page for details.
The filming for Orangutan Jungle School Season 3 has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please follow the Orangutan Jungle School Facebook page for updates on Season 3.
Since the U.S. launch of the Orangutan Jungle School series, thousands of people have been happily drawn into the world of the BOSF orangutans, and Orangutan Outreach has seen an increase in orangutan adoptions and donations for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. As the second season of Orangutan Jungle School began in the U.S., it gained even more momentum, attention, and fans of all ages.