The residents of Orangutan Haven
Find out more about the residents of the Haven. Their stories and their very presence in the Haven can help to raise awareness of the threat to orangutans and the rainforest. As ambassadors for their wild fellow orangutans, they contribute to the survival of their species.
These orangutans have already moved into the Haven:
Krismon (born ~1995)
Krismon was rescued as an adult male in the province of North Sumatra. He had been kept for almost 19 years in a tiny metal cage, in which he could barely stand up. Not surprisingly, Krismon was traumatized. His physical and mental development were severely impaired. His physical and mental development were severely impaired. Even today, he sometimes has a relapse and begins to shake uncontrollably. However, thanks to the dedication and professionalism of his carers, he has made remarkable progress. He now loves to spend his time high above the ground.
Leuser (born in 2000)
Leuser was rescued in 2004 in the province of Aceh on Sumatra, where he was being kept illegally as a pet. Shortly afterwards, he was released into the wild in the protected forest of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in the province of Jambi. Two years later, however, he was shot and captured in an agricultural area on the edge of the national park. The SOCP team was notified, and they immediately brought the confused and seriously injured Leuser to the rescue and care center. X-rays showed that Leuser had been hit by 62 air rifle pellets. Three of the pellets injured his eyes, blinding him.
Paguh (born in 1992)
The adult male orangutan Paguh was found injured by a rescue team in the south of the province of Aceh on Sumatra and brought to the SOCP rescue and care center. He had been hit by 26 air rifle pellets, including in his eyes. Paguh went blind. Although he had previously lived exclusively in the rainforest, he always behaves in a surprisingly relaxed manner towards his caregivers. Paguh regularly emits the “long call”, which is typical of male orangutans, to remind the other orangutans and the keepers that he is there.
Diana (born in 2016)
Diana was rescued at the age of just a few months from a private household where she was being kept illegally as a pet. During health checks by the SOCP team, it was discovered that she was suffering from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Over time, this led to an almost complete paralysis of her entire body and her vision became increasingly poor. After many months of dedicated care by the SOCP team, she regained her mobility. However, her eyes are severely damaged. Dina is the youngest resident of the Orangutan Haven.
Dek Nong (born in 2002)
Deknong was rescued from illegal keeping in 2007. Just a few months later, she was released back into the rainforest on the edge of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Jambi Province. Shortly after that, she was found on the forest floor by the SOCP monitoring team. For unknown reasons, she was paralyzed from the waist down and had strange growths on some of her joints. Fortunately, she gradually recovered. Today she is largely healthy and active again. Unfortunately, her left wrist has been stiff ever since and she cannot fully stretch her left arm.
Lewis (born in 1991)
Lewis was found near large plantations in the province of Aceh on Sumatra. Most of his rainforest habitat had been destroyed for agricultural land. This forced him to search for food on the plantations. To chase him away, local farmers shot at him with air rifles. They injured Lewis all over his body. His eyes were also hit. After two operations, Lewis fortunately recovered well from his injuries. However, he had lost his sight.
These orangutans will soon be moving into the Haven:
Hope (born ~1993)
Hope was rescued in 2019 together with her baby, after a conflict with local farmers. The baby did not survive the journey to the rescue and care center. Hope was in a very critical condition. She had several deep cuts, a broken collarbone and 74 air rifle pellets in her body – including in her eyes. Fortunately, the veterinary team was able to stabilize her condition, and Hope has recovered well, though she has lost her sight. She is still severely traumatized and very fearful of people she doesn’t know. Auch ihr Augenlicht hat Hope verloren.
Fahzren (born ~1999)
Fahzren fell victim to the illegal wildlife trade as a young animal. He was smuggled to Malaysia and grew up there as a pet. When it was discovered that he had been brought into the country illegally, he was brought back to Indonesia, to the SOCP sanctuary and care center on Sumatra. At this point, Fahzren was already a fully grown, extremely strong orangutan with cheek pads. Because he had spent his entire life with humans, and therefore shows no natural fear of them, the SOCP team was concerned about releasing him into the wild. If released, it is very likely that he would encounter humans and trigger human-animal conflict. Although he is healthy and fit, Fahzren will therefore never be able to live in the wild again.
