“Orangutans are emotional creatures, you can see it in their eyes, but there is nothing we can do to soothe them. Only time can heal their pain.”

Written By Yanyie .

Ranto & Uyuk, Rangers

Ranto: My parents worked with orangutans and I’ve been fascinated by them since I was a kid.  Now I’m a Ranger and, for us, orangutans are family.  We’re here to protect them, their home and, ultimately, prevent them from going extinct.  

Before I became a Ranger, I worked in the Care Center for 11 years, taking care of young orangutans, which was a wonderful job because I had a chance to raise them and watch them grow until they were ready to be released. There are two that stand out in my mind that I took care of for six years, named Tole and Berman.  They were like family to me, and so when I moved to Camp Leakey I was pretty heartbroken to leave them.  Tole is back in the wild now and Berman will soon follow.  I believe they’d still remember me.  If I could give them a message, I’d just say:

“Find a new life in the wild and enjoy your freedom. I've given you everything you need, the rest is up to you.”

Uyuk: There are still many people that don’t understand orangutans.  Tourists sometimes come and want to touch them, hug them, feed them and take a selfie. 

Some local people also misunderstand or mistreat them, they think they’re dangerous, or they want to keep them as pets. There was even a case where people used an orangutan as a prostitute.

Orangutan moms have a very strong bond with their babies, the same as humans. If a mom is injured, her baby will cry when we try to help her.  I’ll never forget seeing a distraught mom, still carrying her dead baby.  Orangutans are emotional creatures, you can see it in their eyes, but there is nothing we can do to soothe them. Only time can heal their pain. 

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Conservation is about more than just teaching people what to do or not do, but about reaching their hearts through storytelling.

“When I was a child, we Dayak people hunted orangutans to eat.  Our lives depended on nature and we didn't see orangutans as particularly important creatures.”  
“When I was a child, we Dayak people hunted orangutans to eat.  Our lives depended on nature and we didn't see orangutans as particularly important creatures.”  

When I was a child, we Dayak people hunted orangutans to eat.  Our lives depended on nature and we didn't see orangutans as particularly important creatures.

“Most injuries are indirectly caused by humans, like starvation due to habitat loss.” 
“Most injuries are indirectly caused by humans, like starvation due to habitat loss.” 

Orangutans can’t tell us what's wrong, and they don’t understand that we’re trying to help them, or worse, they think that we’re trying to kill them.  This makes the work dangerous...

Yanyie .
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“We were all afraid of the mythical Kandar, a decrepit orangutan that has decayed into a soulless ghoul, like the walking dead.The elders warned us not to stray too far into the forest.”
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“If we can attract tourists to see orangutans in their natural habitat, it can help raise awareness and get more people interested in protecting the forest.”