Huge excitement in our office in Berg am Irchel and in the program office on Sumatra: After 10 years of work, the time has finally come: The first orangutans are moving from the sanctuary’s enclosure to the green islands in Orangutan Haven.
Some of the orangutans we have rescued will never be able to live independently in the rainforest again for health reasons or because of a disability. For 10 years, PanEco and our Indonesian partner foundation YEL have been building Orangutan Haven, a unique and innovative project worldwide, to enable orangutans to live in a natural environment without bars.
At the same time, visitors to Orangutan Haven are made aware of the need to protect their fellow species living in the wild and their habitat, the tropical rainforest.
At Orangutan Haven, eight orangutans will move into large, naturally overgrown islands by the end of January 2024. Here they can expect trees, ropes, climbing structures and nesting platforms in the fresh air instead of the fenced enclosures they previously inhabited.
Krismon is the first orangutan to move. He was captured as a young animal and kept in a cage that was far too small. When we freed him, he had long since grown up and barely had enough space to stand up or move around. This cruel treatment had a severe impact on his physical and mental development. He will never be able to survive on his own in the rainforest.
“At Orangutan Haven, these orangutans continue to receive all the support they need. At the same time, they live in a spacious and natural environment where they act as ambassadors for their fellow orangutans living in the wild. By acting as role models, they make a decisive contribution to orangutan conservation. Support our fundraising campaign and help the kick-off phase to run successfully.“
