The Orangutan Haven
Orangutan Outreach is proud to support the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme’s new facility in Medan, Sumatra: The Orangutan Haven.
SEE MORE! Breaking News: The Orangutan Haven Is A Reality!
What is the Orangutan Haven?
Orangutan Outreach partner, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), has long envisioned a permanent sanctuary for its unreleasable orangutans. Through the years, that vision has grown by leaps and bounds. Not too far from the main quarantine, a lush wetland valley has been developed into orangutan island homes that sits on a 48 hectares of private land. SOCP sees this as a fantastic opportunity to develop the whole site as a unique, comprehensive education resource for the entire region of Northern Sumatra— promoting species and
ecosystem conservation, animal welfare and sustainable development.
Who's moving in?
The Haven will be the forever home for rescued orangutans who for reasons of ill health or injury due to human impact require long-term care and can never be released into the wild. The sanctuary will allow each individual an enriching life within a natural habitat setting.
There are half a dozen orangutans at the SOCP Orangutan Quarantine Center in North Sumatra who cannot be released into the wild due to health and physical reasons. The 4 large adult males and 2 females will have a new home at the Orangutan Haven.
Their names are Dek Nong, Dina, Fahzren, Krismon, Leuser and Lewis. The plan is to pair each female with a male for companionship. Each pair or solitary orangutan will have their own island on which to live.
Click on the thumbnail image below to see a large version.
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- Dek Nong
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- Dina
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- Fahzren
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- Krismon
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- Leuser
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- Lewis
Each orangutan has special needs. Many of them are fully or partially blind, due to being shot many times with air rifles. Female Dek Nong suffers from a chronic arthritic condition and two others have spent so long in captivity that it would be unsafe for them to live in a forest again. Orangutan Outreach adoptee, Krismon, spent more than 19 years in a cage barely larger than his body.
The Orangutan Haven will provide the orangutans a much-improved quality of life in a spacious and naturalistic setting. The Haven orangutans will serve as ambassadors for their wild counterparts as the Haven educates on the plight of Critically Endangered Sumatran (Pongo abelii) and Tapanuli orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis).
Home Sweet Home
The Haven includes 9 naturalistic islands which are separated from each other (and the visiting public) by water moats. By grouping the orangutans, the plan is to utilize 5 of the islands. The islands are heavily vegetated and equipped with abundant climbing structures including ropes, nets, raised platforms and hammocks (made from firehose). The islands will give the orangutans a much more pleasant and enriching environment, with running water, grass to lie on, and timber and ropes on which to climb. At the same time, the orangutans will be housed and monitored in a manageable setting, in which all of their daily needs can be catered for by their caregivers.
Click on the thumbnail image below to see a large version.
Four ‘orangutan houses’ have been created in the island valley linking each of the islands with safe indoor holding area for the orangutans, allowing them to get out of heavy rain and providing a secure safe area where they can be kept overnight if needed. The orangutans will access the houses from the islands via a sturdy bamboo bridge across the water moat. Even if left to spend the night on the islands each orangutan will be encouraged to enter the associated house for at least half an hour every morning
and evening allowing them to be closely checked and monitored on a daily basis, and for any medications to be administered if necessary. The layout of the cages inside each house will allow the orangutans to be moved from one island to another safely and easily. Swapping islands will be wonderful enrichment for the Orangutan Haven residents!
A Home for Orangutans and SO MUCH MORE!
The amazing facility is being developed in an area within easy reach of Medan, Indonesia’s 4th largest city. The Orangutan Haven will be open to the public so visitors can learn and understand: why orangutans end up in human hands, what are the consequences for orangutans and humans alike, and what is required to conserve the species and their habitat in the present day? Visitors to Orangutan Haven will find astonishing views of the islands and the orangutans, sometimes with the orangutans at eye level. We can think of no greater thrill than a visit to this amazing facility!
The Haven includes:
- Permanent homes and sanctuary care for 7 special orangutans under the care of SOCP
- A veterinary complex, which includes a medical clinic and adjacent staff canteen
- A Guardhouse to be staffed at all times
- A Front House (for arrivals) and a Staff House
- Eco-Farm and Organic Farming
- “Rimba Raya” Rainforest Center
- Bamboo Bridge & Workshop
- Eco-Nature Trails - opportunity to learn about the Orangutan Haven’s rich biodiversity
- Songbird Aviaries – to establish captive breeding programs for notable Sumatran bird species
Future Plans include:
- Farm to Table style restaurant
- Education Facility- for more formal education activities
- Research/Ecology Centre – for students and universities
Visit the Haven!
The Orangutan Haven is open to the public. If you are planning a trip to Sumatra, the Haven is a must-see! You can book your visit in advance. Tell the orangutans we say hello!