In Loving Memory of Romeo
Loving and caring for an orangutan is a special privilege. It brings many joys as you get to know an orangutan’s unique personality and a sense of accomplishment when an orangutan learns to trust you as you provide their care. Forming such amazing connections makes it so much harder to say goodbye. At this time, the BOS Foundation Samboja Lestari team is grieving after a tremendous loss.
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to 38 year old Romeo. He passed away in July of 2024 after more than 30 years under BOS Foundation’s care. Romeo was beloved by many and it is an understatement to say that this magnificent cheekpadder will be greatly missed by all who ever met him.
Romeo arrived at the East Kalimantan Reintroduction Project July 8, 1993, after being repatriated from Taiwan. He was about 6-7 years old at the time. Due to health concerns, Romeo spent 25 years in a cage before moving to a man-made island in Samboja Lestari in 2017. While it was clear that Romeo did not have the necessary skills to return to the wild, we are so grateful that Romeo spent the final years of his life roaming a lush island, with the sun on his face and no bars in his view. Romeo also had female companions to socialize and interact with.
Read Romeo's full story here.
The medical team has conducted a necropsy (animal autopsy), with the initial findings suggesting heart failure. However, the final cause of death can only be determined once the lab results are returned, likely in a few months’ time. This will provide valuable information to the BOSF team as they continue to strive to provide excellent medical care to each orangutan, and
heart issues are a concern for older apes.
Romeo’s passing serves as a reminder that there are many more orangutans with a similar story. BOS Foundation is caring for over 100 unreleasable orangutans and many remain in cages as there is nowhere else for them to live. Our goal is to get all of these precious souls out of cages and on to an island to live out their days, just like Romeo had the chance to do.
Learn more about our efforts to build cage-free sanctuary space for the BOS Foundation orangutans here. We appreciate your support as it is our foremost desire to get the orangutans out of their cages sooner rather than later. They deserve a better life. Let’s not let another day go by without helping these orangutans move to a special place surrounded by water, trees, and the company of other orangutans.
Nest in Peace, Romeo... We love you and miss you, big fella.....