We would truly love to see wild orangutans living freely and safely, with all their needs met, in their protected forest homes.
This idyllic life is what Orangutan Outreach strives to create for every wild orangutan living on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in SE Asia. Happily, there are thousands of orangutans that are living their best lives. Many of them live in Sebangau National Park in Central Kalimantan (Borneo). This park is home to one of the largest populations of protected wild orangutans on earth. We’d like to tell you about one of the amazing orangutan families.
The G Family
The G Family, as they are lovingly called, includes matriarch Gracia, her daughters Georgia and Gretel, her sons Gara and Gabe, and her two grandkids! The family is carefully monitored by Orangutan Outreach partner, Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) - a wonderful organization that conducts research in the area, and works with local communities to protect important orangutan habitat. BNF has kept a watchful eye on Gracia for over twenty years. Gracia is believed to be in her 30s and since 2003 she has time and again shown herself to be an excellent mother. Orangutans have one of the longest childhoods in the animal kingdom, so motherhood is a big commitment! Gracia's expertise with her babies helped her daughters Georgia and Gretel learn how to be doting mothers. Georgia has done a wonderful job with her son Gus, and Gretel has settled into motherhood after having her first (yet to be named) baby. Meanwhile, Gracia’s first son Gara is already independent, and Gracia’s second son Gabe remains close by at all times. What a family!
Family Bonds
Baby orangutans typically spend the first year of their lives clinging to their mother’s side, entirely dependent on her. At around two years of age, an orangutan may begin to move off of their mother’s body for short amounts of time. Young orangutans spend more than half of their time within 10 meters of their mother for the first six years of life. However, as orangutans become juveniles they become quite independent. At this age, young male orangutans spend longer stretches away from their mothers while females tend to stay close to their mothers. And what about wild orangutan fathers? Adult male orangutans are solitary except for coming together with females to mate. They actually do not have any involvement in raising their offspring. That is the world of orangutans and it is just what we want to see.
Support Orangutan Families
Hundreds of orangutans do not have the life they deserve, as adult males are killed when coming into contact with humans, and adult females are killed so their babies can be taken. These orphaned babies become illegal pets and are often doomed to a miserable life. Our friends at Orangutan Outreach work to assure these traumatized babies are rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to life in the forest where they belong. By making a donation to Orangutan Outreach with VAKOVAKO you are supporting efforts to help as many orangutans as possible live a wonderful life free in the forest, just like Gracia and her family.
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