Rescued Orangutans Reach Final Stage Before Return to Wild Forest
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📰 The quick summary: Two orphaned orangutans, Popi and Devi, have reached the final stage of rehabilitation on a pre-release island in Borneo, bringing them closer to returning to the wild and contributing to their critically endangered species’ survival.
📈 One key stat: Rehabilitation of young orangutans like Popi and Devi can take up to five years or more before they’re ready to be released, highlighting the intensive care required to save each critically endangered animal.
💬 One key quote: “Returning an orangutan to the wild takes years of patient, expert care to undo extensive trauma experienced as an infant, and to teach them the skills their mothers would have passed on,” said Leif Cocks, Founder of The Orangutan Project.
1️⃣ The big picture: All three species of orangutans are now classified as critically endangered, facing extreme extinction risk due to deforestation, illegal logging, and the pet trade. Each year, hundreds are killed, injured or orphaned, with infants unable to survive alone without years of maternal guidance. The recent milestone of moving orangutans Popi and Devi to a pre-release island in Borneo represents a critical step in their journey back to the wild. Both were rescued as traumatized infants after losing their mothers to the illegal wildlife trade, requiring years of rehabilitation. This intensive process mimics the natural 8-11 years orangutans typically spend learning survival skills from their mothers in the wild.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Each successfully rehabilitated orangutan makes a significant contribution to the survival of these critically endangered species. The four-phase rehabilitation process developed by conservationists provides orphaned orangutans with essential survival skills they would naturally learn from their mothers. Through recovery, jungle school, pre-release monitoring, and eventually forest freedom, traumatized orangutans can transform into confident, independent animals capable of thriving in their natural habitat. Organizations like The Orangutan Project are creating a sustainable model for orangutan conservation that addresses both immediate rescue needs and long-term species survival. Thanks to these rehabilitation efforts, orangutans like Popi and Devi can potentially live naturally into their sixties, forming new wild communities in protected forest habitats.
3️⃣ What’s next: Popi and Devi will be closely monitored on their pre-release island for up to a year to ensure they can survive independently. After perfecting their forest skills, they’ll move to the final phase of rehabilitation: release into protected forest habitat. Their success will help refine rehabilitation techniques for future rescued orangutans while contributing to wild population recovery.
Read the full story here: Earth.org – Beyond Rescue: The Intensive Rehabilitation of Rescued, Orphaned Orangutans
