The orangutan rehabilitation process requires the use of forested manmade islands to help orangutans further develop and hone survival skills. The islands in the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre were previously damaged, compromising the containment, and substantial repairs were necessary for them to be functional once again.
To help rescued orangutans complete the rehabilitation process, the BOS Foundation utilises forested manmade islands. Some of these artificial islands are used to accommodate rehabilitated orangutans who have completed Forest School, while others are used as permanent sanctuary for the adult orangutans who are unfit for release.
In Samboja Lestari, the BOS Foundation has built 18 manmade islands, which together total 21 hectares in area. But unfortunately, some of these islands had sustained heavy damages due to floods during the rainy seasons in 2020 and 2021. This situation forced the management of the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to move orangutans from the islands to cage complexes for an undetermined period of time.
In August of 2023, the BOS Foundation began the work of repairing our manmade islands in Samboja Lestari. The first phase was the repair of 1-ha Island #6, which had previously housed 34-year-old Bujang and the 30-year-old female Anih. They both had to be removed from the island several years earlier due to the extensive flood damage.
The repairs for Island #6 were primarily carried out by the Samboja Lestari staff, with the help of a few external experts. The work included digging out the bottom of the canal surrounding the island which was too shallow due to sedimentation, compacting the canal banks to prevent future collapse, and reinforcing the spillway. The project ran for five working days from August 7-11, 2023.
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
Island Repairs in Samboja Lestari (Credit photo: BOSF 2024)
However, further work was needed to fix and install enrichment structures on the island. Volunteers from The Great Project helped us to build over a few weeks in September. The enrichment structures like swing ropes, wood columns, and feeding platforms are instrumental for the orangutans to keep climbing and swinging around like they would naturally do in the forest.
This success was then followed by the decision to also repair Islands #7, #8, #12A, and #12B, all of which were funded by the Bank Central Asia (BCA), one of our longtime supporters. The repair project started in January 2024 and was completed in April 2024. This work included the repair of two spillways to manage the water levels around Islands #7 and #8 and the backfilling and compacting of several sections of the islands that were damaged in landslides and floods.
Islands #7 and #8 were prepared to accommodate the young orangutans who completed Forest School and were ready for the pre-release phase of rehabilitation. Concurrently Islands #12A and #12B were prepared for more unreleasable orangutans. The main difference between the islands used for sanctuary versus the islands used for pre-release is that the pre-release islands do not have enrichment structures. The environment of Islands #7 and #8 is intentionally kept as natural forests. For the sanctuary of Islands #12A and #12B, they were designed to cater to the behavioural needs and limitations of unreleasable orangutans and encourage them to move and play around.
May the orangutans feel at home on these newly repaired islands!
The Mawas Conservation Program is a proven model for large-scale forest restoration. With our project partner Weleda, our teams on the ground are actively assisting in the management of 309,000 hectares of peatland to reduce the risk of forest fires,
The BOS Foundation feels that to improve the quality of care for animals at the rehabilitation centres, supporting infrastructure ensuring the smooth delivery of food and supplies is essential.
One of the pillars of BOS Australia's success has been the support from long-term partners like the King Living Foundation, who have made significant contributions to our efforts, particularly within the Samboja Lestari Sanctuary.
