TOP Founder, Leif Cocks, and Conservation Project Manager, Kylie Bullo, recently visited the Sumatran orangutan release site in the Bukit Tigapuluh (BTP) ecosystem in Jambi, Sumatra.
Leif and Kylie after a long jungle trek in the beautiful forests of BTP
After a four-hour journey by car on road, they then faced a very tough trek into the release site. This last 15km was a churned-up mud track that was too much for even the best 4WD vehicle.
Enter the Wildlife Protection Units and their motorbikes! Leif and Kylie hung on tight as the motorbikes battled to get through the thick mud in the dark of night. Walking was often required, which resulted in legs and shoes being stuck in the mud. After a five-hour trek, the team finally made it to the camp at 11pm. A hot bowl of noodles and orangutan colleagues were waiting to greet them, as well as a late-night swim in the river to wash away all the mud.
Leif and Kylie spent time in the field with Program Director, Peter Pratje, and orangutan veterinarian, Andhani. They discussed the progress of young Siti and Sudin at Jungle School, behavioural enrichment and welfare, the progress of released orangutans, and our ongoing partnership and commitment to habitat protection and orangutan conservation in this area.
Thanks to our donors, we fund the orangutan Jungle School and release programs, including food and medicine for the orangutans, salaries of the orangutan trackers and veterinary staff, and the Wildlife Protection Units who patrol and protect this precious ecosystem. Over 200 Sumatran orangutans have been released into the jungles of Bukit Tigapuluh and 21 wild births recorded. This forest provides new hope for a species teetering on the edge of extinction.
