YIARI, a partner of the Sussex-based International Animal Rescue (IAR), has launched an orangutan surrogacy programme that is giving the most vulnerable babies in Borneo a second chance at life. Through this unique program, rescued orangutan mothers are being paired with orphaned infants to provide them with the love, protection, and skills they need to survive and eventually return to the wild.
Borneo’s orangutan forests are rapidly disappearing due to the expansion of palm oil and industrial agriculture. As a result, many orangutans are left injured, orphaned, or illegally kept as pets. YIARI’s rehabilitation centre in West Borneo, which is supported by IAR, has rescued and released 267 orangutans, with 131 now living in the wild. However, for the youngest infants who have lost their mothers, the chances of survival are slim without proper maternal care.
To address this issue, YIARI has created a surrogacy programme where adult female orangutans are paired with orphaned infants to act as their mothers. This gives the infants the warmth, protection, and skills they need to thrive in the wild. Currently, there are eight surrogate mother-infant pairs, with five already released and living in the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park.
Alan Knight OBE, President of IAR, describes the programme as “absolutely transformational” and believes it gives the orangutan babies a chance at a better future. One success story is that of Muria, a surrogacy orangutan who was rescued from a life of being chained and locked in a tiny cage. She was paired with an orphaned infant, and together they were released into the wild in 2019. Three years later, Muria was found with her own wild-born baby, Bumi, proving that love can heal even the deepest of wounds.
IAR is seeking to raise £90,000 to cover the costs of rehabilitating and releasing these orangutans into protected rainforests and providing essential post-release monitoring. They are asking for donations to help these animals find their freedom and give them a chance at a better life.
To support this cause, please donate today at https://bit.ly/OrangutanChristmasAppeal. Let’s give these orangutans the love and care they deserve.
