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Orangutan Rescue

Projects

Rescue & release

We aid the rescue and release of orphaned, displaced and injured orangutans, as well as those who are victims of the illegal wildlife trade.

Rescue

Our team are on-hand 24/7 to assist in the rescue of orangutans that are in need of urgent assistance, which can include:

  • Young orangutans orphaned due to human-wildlife conflict;
  • Those displaced from their natural habitat by deforestation;
  • Orangutans injured at the hands of humans;
  • Those who have been captured and sold as pets. 
Orangutan Rescue Sandakan

Rescues can involve travelling for many hours to reach an orangutan's last known location. It may take days to locate an orangutan in need of help.  Our team are expertly trained and have many years of experience in tracking orangutans and knowing when they need to intervene to save an orangutan's life.

Rescue Vehicle

Release

The ultimate goal of a rehabilitation centre is to reintroduce animals back into their natural environment.

Release sites are selected based on a number of factors, which include habitat suitability, food availability and connectivity. Sites should also be located within protected forest reserves, reducing the risk of habitat destruction and poaching.

Some sites are not accessible by road. One of our first projects in 2001, was the very first helicopter translocation of an orangutan in Borneo. We've continued to fund releases by helicopter where no other transport options are available.

In 2006, we constructed a research camp within Tabin Reserve, the largest wildlife reserve in Malaysia.  It was here we carried out our pioneering Post-Release Monitoring Project, to release selected orangutans from Sepilok and then track and monitor their behaviours. This enabled us to evaluate the success of the rehabilitation programme and learn how orangutans adapt to their new life in the wild.

Most orangutans, who go through the rehabilitation programme at Sepilok, are released into the Sepilok-Kabili forest reserve, but we also use release sites in Tabin Reserve and Danum Valley.

Orangutan release at Tabin Reserve.

Over 500 orphaned, displaced or injured orangutans have been successfully released back into the wild following treatment or rehabilitation at Sepilok!

Explore more articles

  • Orangutan hand and foot gripping rope at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

    Projects in the field

    Orangutan rehabilitation

    Rescued orangutans at Sepilok undergo a five-step rehabilitation programme to increase their chances of returning to the wild.

  • Orangutan Appeal UK staff employed to work at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

    Projects in the field

    Care staff

    We employ 12 dedicated care staff and rangers at Sepilok.

  • Veterinarian at Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation Centre taking an orangutans temperature 1

    Projects in the field

    Veterinary care & support

    The clinic at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre provides 24-hour care to injured and sick orangutans.