AlfaPeople supports Save the Orangutan
AlfaPeople |
Jun 21, 2018

AlfaPeople supports Save the Orangutan

For more than 10 years, AlfaPeople has supported the organization Save the Orangutan and their work on the island of Borneo. Latest figures show that up to 150.000 orangutans have been killed since 1999, and if the orangutan is not to be extinct in our lifetime, joint efforts must be made to save it.

The organization supports broadly to maintain the critically endangered orangutan. This is done in the following ways:

Rehabilitation

If an orangutan for one reason or another cannot survive on their own, they will come to the rehabilitation center Nyaru Menteng. Here, over 500 orangutans pass until they have mastered themselves. The journeys are going through nursery, to kindergarten, and forest school to the island university. In the nursery, only a few orangutans live together and they are in close contact with their babysitters. In kindergarten, they have a few more orangutans around them, and the teaching begins. Then they come to the forest school, where they are invited to stay in the trees all day and practice building nests and finding food. Rehabilitation ends at the island university, where orangutans live almost without people around them. Now the orangutans are finally to return to life in the freedom of the rainforests.

Rainforest conservation

Another focus area is the conservation of the rainforest. Save the Orangutan is working to slow down the precipitation of the rainforest on Borneo and restore destroyed forest areas, so orangutans also have a home in the future. Therefore, Save the Orangutan has created SOS Borneo, which includes support conversation processes, educates fire patrols to combat forest fires and rebuild destroyed areas.

In recent months there have been optimal conditions for cuttings, which 4 garden centers have germinated for in half a year. In total 62 people from the villages of Borneo have participated in the planting of the more than 80.000 cuttings, consisting of 10 different species of wood. In the future, this will help support the flora and fauna of Borneo for the benefit of orangutans and wildlife in general.

Development of local communities

The rainforest on Borneo has always been a home for both orangutans and humans. Save the Orangutan works with the local partner, BOS, and with funds from the Civil Society in Development to ensure a space in nature for both humans, plants, and animals.

“The locals at Borneo are as dependent on the rainforest as the orangutans are. The development has put an enormous pressure on the forests and natural resources, and local people are pushed into non-sustainable and often illegal income opportunities. However, it only worsens the situation both for themselves and for the orangutan. Therefore, many fronts should work if the orangutan is to be rescued,” says Marie Sigvardt, Program Lead, Save the Orangutan.

Cinta, 4 ½ years old

AlfaPeople has supported Save the Orangutan for 10 years, which means we have had the opportunity to follow several different orangutans. Right now, our orangutan is Cinta and is 4,5 years old. She arrived at the rehabilitation center when she was only 3 months old. Cinta’s mother had left her – probably because she was hurt or killed – and Cinta couldn’t survive without help this early. Fortunately, she does not notice her harsh start to life, and today she is a brave and curious orangutan who is always ready to start playing games and activities among the other monkeys.

At AlfaPeople we are really excited to support the good work of saving the orangutans and rainforests on Borneo. It is important for AlfaPeople to take a position in the world around us, and engage in large and small projects around the world. We follow the lives of the little ones by updates from Save the Orangutans, and it´s always nice to hear how they are. “In the office, we have AlfaNando – a teddy bear orangutan – reminding us every day to make a difference, wherever possible,” says Gitte Højgaard Mouritsen, Marketing Manager at AlfaPeople.

You can read more about the organization, their important work and how you can support them at Save the Orangutan.