You can help build an island sanctuary for four very special orangutans who currently remain confined to quarantine cages at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program (SOCP) Centre. For reasons of health or disability these orangutans require long-term care and cannot be re-released back into the wild in the forseeable future.
This special moated sanctuary will allow each orangutan their own island so they can live freely in a natural habitat and still receive the safety and care they need. The island sanctuary will not only be a refuge for orangutans, but a conservation education centre. Conservation education and engaging local community and visitors is essential to change perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards orangutans and their environment and demonstrate we can all live harmoniously.
In addition, the sanctuary will also house native species used in the illegal pet trade and traditional medicine trade, such as Slow Loris, Fruit Bats and reptiles, to act as educational ambassadors to change local perceptions and reduce demand in the region.
How can you Build a Sanctuary?
The first step in development is to secure suitable land. You can help by virtually acquiring blocks of land in Northern Sumatra for a donation where all proceeds go directly to the sanctuary development! You will also receive a certificate, orangutan bio and updates on their progress.
About Earth 4 Orangutans
Four permanently incapacitated orangutans suffering afflictions ranging from hepatitis through to paralysis and blindness currently reside in quarantine cages at the Batu Mbelin orangutan Quarantine Centre in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Without human intervention of a more positive kind, these orangutans can never be released, either for their own safety or to prevent the spread of disease among wild primate populations.
They therefore face the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in cages (potentially as long as 50 years or more), unless a more acceptable solution can be found. Despite every effort to provide the best of care and behavioural enrichment, the inherent limitations of a caged existence means the quality of life of each of these individual’s is always going to be compromised and suboptimal.
Mission
Earth 4 Orangutans believes that these orangutans deserve a more positive and meaningful future and the freedom of a naturalistic setting. As ambassadors for their wild cousins, their stories could provide a powerful way to dramatically increase awareness and education surrounding the plight of their species.
The construction of several moated man made islands can achieve all of this. These islands would provide sanctuary and natural segregation for incapacitated animals and also fulfill a vital role as an educational resource. Through unique experiences, visitors, both local and international, would gain a better understanding of orangutans, their individuality, intelligence, and complexity, as well as the threats orangutans face in the wild, and the ways in which orangutan and human populations can co-exist.
Earth 4 Orangutans’ pilot project offers a long-term viable solution that could be used as a blueprint for housing orangutans in similar situations. We are looking at least 55ha of land to secure for further development of this education initiative. We must raise a minimum of AU$500,000 to get the development off the ground and hope to accomplish this through a number of fundraising initiatives throughout 2012 - 2013.(please note that this is just the start as land location and price can change and vary increasing the price dramatically)
We need YOUR help to make this happen!
Objectives
- Provide greatly improved living conditions for disabled or otherwise un-releasable orangutans in need of lifelong support.
- Foster greater support in the region, especially amongst the more wealthy middle classes, who have the ability and the means to force changes in society, that facility much improved forest governance and habitat and wildlife management in the future.
