Orangutans!

This week’s blog comes from me, Jess B, Deputy Head of Primates. After my maternity leave, I couldn’t wait to return to all the wonderful animals and my team. My blog is about my trip to Sumatra, Indonesia in 2018, in search of Sumatran orangutans.

Home Sweet Home

Now, we are home to our two wonderful Bornean orangutan couples: Jin and Awan, and Belayan and Molly. Jin has transformed into a huge male in just over a year. When I left in October 2023, Jin was a small male, and now he has grown cheek pads, a large throat sack, and his sheer size is incredible. Awan, our newest family member, looks like she stepped straight out of the 1970s with her hairstyle. We think it’s fabulous. Belayan is a team favourite for his gentle and scaredy-cat nature, while Molly is the NAUGHTIEST orangutan ever, constantly getting herself and Belayan into trouble!

Differences Between Sumatran and Bornean Orangutans

• Sumatran orangutans are lighter and can have a more orange and yellow tone to their hair, while Bornean are more of a darker maroon, brown colour.
• Sumatran orangutans have slightly narrower faces and longer beards compared to the Bornean, who have larger cheek pads and throat pouches.
• There’s evidence that Sumatran orangutans use tools more regularly than the Bornean. (Although Molly might disagree with this evidence)!

My Adventure

Seeing orangutans in the wild was my top priority when deciding where to travel. After working for six months in South Africa at a primate rehabilitation centre, releasing a troop of chacma baboons into the wild, and a quick two-week stop in Thailand to rejuvenate (and visit an elephant sanctuary), I had two choices: Sumatra or Borneo? I chose Sumatra, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I flew into Medan and then had a three-hour car journey to Bukit Lawang. As we drove, my driver talked about the palm oil industry and a special orangutan named Mina (more about her later). We passed miles of palm oil plantations, and he reminisced about how much had changed and how much forest had been destroyed. Palm oil is found in nearly half the products we buy, so the demand is high. To keep up with demand, more palm oil plantations are being planted, sometimes illegally, and forests are burned and cleared to make way for this. The wildlife suffers terribly, including orangutans.

Conservation Challenges

Fortunately, in the last 20 years, there’s been a focus on sustainable palm oil. Some manufacturers won’t buy palm oil unless it’s produced sustainably, and products must specify if they contain palm oil. This has increased consumer awareness. While banning all palm oil isn’t feasible due to its efficiency and the livelihoods it supports, finding a balance is crucial.

Jungle Trekking

After a night’s rest, I started my trek into the jungle with three others and our guide. Within minutes of entering the national park, we encountered Thomas langur monkeys.

Later, we saw a massive male orangutan. I couldn’t believe his size!

After lunch, we found another mother and her youngster. The youngster was getting a climbing lesson from mum. Orangutans are semi-solitary, with the largest group being a mother and her two offspring. Orangutan babies spend the first 6-8 years with their mother before venturing off on their own. Due to their slow reproductive rate, they produce around 3-4 offspring in their lifetime.

After a hard day trek we finished up at our simple wooden campsite, complete with mats and mosquito nets. We enjoyed a delicious local curry by candlelight while watching fireflies dance over the river, creating a magical atmosphere.

Rehabilitation and Ecotourism

The next day, we set off to find more orangutans. In the 1970s, Bukit Lawang once had an orangutan rehabilitation centre that cared for orphaned, displaced or illegally kept orangutans. The goal was to teach them survival skills, like finding food, building nests and interacting with other orangutans before releasing them back into the wild.

For years, orangutans were fed twice daily on feeding platforms in the forest. This made them predictable, attracting tourists eager to see them. However, this caused orangutans to rely on human food, reducing their wild behaviours. It was also found that tourists were feeding the orangutans and coming into direct contact with them, increasing the chance of spreading disease and giving them unsuitable food.

To protect the orangutans’ independence, the feeding platforms were closed, and the rehabilitation centre was shut down. Now, orangutans live semi-wild, mixing with the fully wild populations. Bukit Lawang has become a hub for eco-tourism, focusing on minimizing human interaction with orangutans to allow them to live naturally.

An Unforgettable Encounter

Halfway through the day, we encountered Mina, an elderly orangutan known as the Queen of the Jungle and famous for biting people. Mina was captured at three years old, kept as a pet, and later given to the rehabilitation centre. The locals have so many stories about Mina, how true or embellished they are, we don’t know, but I didn’t want to chance it so ran as fast as I could down the hill away from her. This is the photo of her before our guide told us who she was!

After an adrenaline-filled encounter with Mina, we finished our trek and tubed back to the village. Seeing orangutans in the wild is a truly special experience I will never forget.

At Wingham Wildlife Park, we also only sustainable palm oil that has been certified by RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil). To find out more our full policy is on our website and when you next go shopping look out for the below logo.