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SOCP Baby House

Wild orangutans are in critically endangered due to an increase in deforestation, the expansion of oil palm plantations, and people’s desire to keep a baby orangutan as a pet. (For the record, it’s illegal) For these reasons, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) Quarantine Center often receives orphaned orangutan babies who have been rescued from distressing situations. Each precious baby needs 24-hour tender loving care. The SOCP Infant Quarantine, or “Baby House”, is a place where the SOCP staff is able to give special attention to these infants. At night the darling little ones sleep in hammocks, which mimic a nest, so they become used to the conditions in a real nest, off the ground and in the trees.

Once the orangutans are a bit older and more independent, they are moved as a group to the socialization cages, where they enter the next stage of development. At this time they spend most of the day outside in Forest School learning valuable skills from their caretakers such as how to climb trees, build nests, and forage for food. These are the survival skills they will need in the wild when they are older and released back to their forest home. They return to the cages at night to get a safe night of sleep.

The residents of the SOCP Baby House are constantly changing as new orangutans arrive and older residents move into more advanced groups as they make their journey back to the forest.

Click on the thumbnails below to see full size images of some of the babies!

 
You can directly support the SOCP Baby House by adopting Brenda or Janet for just USD $20/month (or USD $200/year). Learn more about them on our adoption page.