One of the most amazing ways you support the survival of our orange cousins is by releasing rehabilitated orangutans back into the wild.
After learning, growing and building confidence at Jungle School, rescued orangutans take two final steps towards freedom.
First, they head to a pre-release island to fine-tune their survival skills and increase their physical fitness.
Then, they're released into a protected, wild forest. Here, they can live out their lives, breed, and be the wild orangutans they were born to be, all while contributing to the survival of their species.
And thanks to your kindness, three gorgeous orangutans recently took the final step in their journey, and were released back into the wild!
Because you care, Bagus, Ruby and Eboni are finally free!
The BIGGEST orangutan smile, as Ruby finds forest freedom.
The three girls headed to the Busang-Whea Ecosystem together at the end of June. Our team is monitoring them closely, making sure they're settling in well and adapting to life in the wild.
The three friends have met up together on a few occasions now, which has helped our team keep a close eye on them. And it's wonderful to see their bonds continuing in the forest!
Their journey to this moment
Bagus
Beautiful Bagus headed to Bawan pre-release island in March this year. She excelled at foraging, staying active and exploring, and spent most of her time high in the canopy. A great sign she was ready for life in the wild.
Now, she’s wild and free.
This is the moment Bagus headed straight up to the canopy, her very first taste of wild freedom:
We couldn’t resist sharing this video of Bagus settling right into her wild life. First things first – food!!
Ruby
In February, Ruby and Eboni headed together to the Dalwood-Wylie pre-release island in the Busang-Whea Ecosystem. Ruby was slow to show solid nest-building behaviour at first, but she improved every month, building the skills she needed for release.
Thanks to you, she now gets to use those skills in the wild.
Ruby was a little hesitant when her crate opened in her new wild home, but she slowly made her way up into the trees, where she settled right in, at the exact moment nature called!
Ruby also spent some time exploring closer to the ground, and had a little play in the creek.
Eboni
Eboni adapted quickly to her wild environment on the pre-release island. She expertly foraged for natural food and built strong, cosy nests each night. It was clear from early on that Eboni was ready for the wild.
And to the wild she went!
We are so proud of Eboni – she knew exactly what to do when her crate opened up in her final release site:
Take a look at this video, as Eboni surveys her new wild home, high up in the canopy, where she belongs!
You made these incredible moments possible.
Thank you so much for being the champion these three precious orangutans needed to find their way back to forest freedom. Every step in their journey is thanks to you. From rescue, through Jungle School and everything in between, you’ve been a pillar of strength for Bagus, Ruby and Eboni.
They couldn’t have made it this far without you. So thank you!
Program: APE Guardian Team
Location: East Borneo, Indonesia
Program Partner: These programs are a collaboration with our partners at Centre for Orangutan Protection and the Ministry of Forestry 🌳