Being An Orangutan

Introduces orangutans, describing their physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and how they build their beds each night and use sticks to forage for food.

Invites readers inside the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine, operated by Orangutan Foundation International, in the South Pacific jungles of Borneo. Explores why baby orangutans become orphaned and the process of healing and rehabilitating them for return to the wild. Also highlights the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals.

“Temara had done her species proud and proven that captive orangutans do have a place in the jungle of tomorrow. I felt honoured that I was by her side during the first part of her remarkable world-first journey.” In 2006, Kylie Bullo and her colleagues at Perth Zoo were part of a bold, groundbreaking experiment that many experts believed was doomed to failure – to return a zoo-born orangutan to the wild. The orangutan they chose was Temara, a fiery redhead with a will of her own. Temara had always been strong, intelligent and independent, but preparing for the return to the jungles of her ancestors would put all her best qualities – and those of her keepers – to the test. This is the story of that remarkable journey and of the remarkable woman who helped make it happen. It proves that the right blend of passion, compassion and hard work can achieve what many thought was impossible. And it brings new hope to those fighting to bring this magnificent creature back from the brink of extinction.

Kusasi is a three-hundred-pound male who could rip your arms and legs off like daisy petals if he wanted. Princess was taught sign language by a researcher and had a limited ability to combine vocabulary. . .. For centuries the shaggy red orangutan lived in peaceful seclusion in the jungles of Southeast Asia and kept the ancient secrets about its quiet, contemplative nature. But that time has come to an end, as one of the earth's most intelligent creatures has, sadly, also become one if its vanishing species. "I went up a muddy brown river called the Sekonyer into the jungles of southern Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, to see orangutans as they really are and to know them the way they deserve to be known. . ." In The Intimate Ape, journalist Shawn Thompson brings together a global assemblage of primatologists, conservationists, and volunteers to reveal the intricate life of these majestic primates. As he travels through the steamy rainforests of Sumatra and the jungle river valleys of Borneo, visiting nature preserves and observing conservation programs, Thompson describes the emotional and intellectual lives of orangutans and recognizes the people who have committed their lives to understand, protect, and ultimately rescue this powerful yet sensitive relation of humanity. "An extraordinary book that adds to our understanding of the animal world." --From the Foreword by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson After 17 years as a reporter, photographer, and editor at newspapers in Ontario, Shawn Thompson became a full-time assistant professor in the journalism department at Thompson Rivers University, in British Columbia, Canada. He has traveled the world to find orangutans and interview orangutan scientists, including trips to Sumatra and Borneo (the only places in the world where orangutans are found in the wild), Java, the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. He lives in the small city of Kamloops, in the mountainous interior of British Columbia. This is his sixth book.

Wild Man from Borneo offers the first comprehensive history of the human-orangutan encounter. Arguably the most humanlike of all the great apes, particularly in intelligence and behavior, the orangutan has been cherished, used, and abused ever since it was first brought to the attention of Europeans in the seventeenth century. The red ape has engaged the interest of scientists, philosophers, artists, and the public at large in a bewildering array of guises that have by no means been exclusively zoological or ecological. One reason for such a long-term engagement with a being found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is that, like its fellow great apes, the orangutan stands on that most uncomfortable dividing line between human and animal, existing, for us, on what has been called “the dangerous edge of the garden of nature.” Beginning with the scientific discovery of the red ape more than three hundred years ago, this work goes on to examine the ways in which its human attributes have been both recognized and denied in science, philosophy, travel literature, popular science, literature, theatre, museums, and film. The authors offer a provocative analysis of the origin of the name “orangutan,” trace how the ape has been recruited to arguments on topics as diverse as slavery and rape, and outline the history of attempts to save the animal from extinction. Today, while human populations increase exponentially, that of the orangutan is in dangerous decline. The remaining “wild men of Borneo” are under increasing threat from mining interests, logging, human population expansion, and the widespread destruction of forests. The authors hope that this history will, by adding to our knowledge of this fascinating being, assist in some small way in their preservation.

Ethical Debates in Orangutan Conservation explores how conservationists decide whether, and how, to undertake rehabilitation and reintroduction (R&R) when rescuing orphaned orangutans. The author demonstrates that exploring ethical dilemmas is crucial for understanding ongoing disagreements about how to help endangered wildlife in an era of anthropogenic extinction. Although R&R might appear an uncontroversial activity, there is considerable debate about how, and why, it ought to be practised. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research with orangutan conservation practitioners, this book examines how ethical trade-offs shape debates about R&R. For example, what if the orphan fails to learn how to be an orangutan again, after years in the company of humans? What if she is sent into the forest only to slowly starve? Would she have been better off in a cage? Could the huge cost of sending a rescued ape back to the wild be better spent on stopping deforestation in the first place? Or do we have a moral obligation to rescue the orphan regardless of cost? This book demonstrates that deconstructing ethical positions is crucial for understanding ongoing disagreements about how to help our endangered great ape kin and other wildlife. Ethical Debates in Orangutan Conservation is essential reading for those interested in conservation and animal welfare, animal studies, primatology, geography, environmental philosophy, and anthropology.

Orangutans have a very special relationship with their moms, so when Kawan the orangutan finds himself alone in the rainforest, he needs help. Lucky for him, his friends from the rainforest, Sally Snake, Ricky Rhino and Sandy Sun Bear help point him in the right direction. Will Kawan be reunited with his mother, or will he be lost in the rainforest forever?With your book purchase, you also get exclusive access to a Kid Conservationist Yoga Video that tells the story with movement and fun Yoga poses for the whole family to enjoy!

This publication has been carried out on behalf of the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP), established by UNEP and UNESCO in collaboration with a wide range of non-governmental organisations in response to growing concern over the plight of the orangutan, the chimpanzee, the bonobo and the gorilla. The report used the latest satellite imagery and data from the Government of Indonesia to assess changes in the forests of one part of south-east Asia. The results indicate that illegal logging, fires and the plantation of crops such as palm oil are intruding extensively into Indonesia's national parks, the last safehold of the orangutan. The orangutans share this habitat with a wild range of other threatened and ecologically important species including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros and Asian elephant.