Rehabilitation & Release
It is illegal to capture, kill, harm or keep an orangutan as a pet, yet the illegal trade is still rampant, with young orangutans being especially coveted as pets and status symbols. They are usually kept in private backyards in tiny cages, with no protection from the elements, and frequently suffer from malnutrition, disease and social isolation.
Jami Tarris
Batu Mbelin is the only orangutan care centre in Sumatra, and is managed by our partners, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP). They confiscate and rehabilitate orangutans from the pet trade, and provide specialist care for orangutans that have been evacuated from farmlands. SOCP also operate two reintroduction stations, offering refuge for orangutans ready to be released back to the forest.
