Save the Orangutan

31/10/2026

The perfect Halloween costume 👻
This is still one of our favourite videos. Happy Halloween from the little ghosts at Forest School 🎃

29/10/2026

Our orangutan specialist, Daniel Krejmar Nielsen, witnessed one of the fires in Borneo.

Like many other fires, this one started in a peat swamp forest. Peat swamp forests are wetlands and one of the orangutans’ preferred habitats.

But during the dry season, they are vulnerable to fire. Many peat swamp forests have been cleared and drained by humans to make way for agriculture. While healthy peat swamp forests rarely burn, metres-deep dry peat can catch fire in an instant. These fires are also difficult to extinguish because the flames spread underground.

This particular fire happened outside of our working areas and was extinguished by local fire fighters not affiliated with our partners. Thankfully, many people, authorities, and organizations are involved in the fire fighting.

We do, however, still need your help: https://savetheorangutan.org.uk/super-el-nino/

27/10/2026

Onyer is a little orangutan with a big personality. Known as the Forest School rascal, he still gets away with a lot thanks to his charm 🧡

Onyer arrived at the rehabilitation centre in 2021 after being found alone near a gold mine. He was only 10 months old at the time and very anxious. As his rehabilitation has progressed, his confidence and personality have truly blossomed.

You can get to know Onyer and follow his development through our adoption program:
https://savetheorangutan.org.uk/adoption/

25/10/2026

This year, Save the Orangutan and Borneo Nature Indonesia celebrate 10 years of partnership!

What began as an emergency response during the 2016 El Niño has evolved into a strategic collaboration with a long-term focus: if forests are to be protected, the people living in and around them must be involved.

We believe that a locally anchored and holistic partnership, built on strengthening local knowledge, livelihoods and leadership, will create long-term change for the forest, orangutans and generations to come.

Read more about the partnership in our latest article:
https://savetheorangutan.org/2026/10/23/10-years-with-borneo-nature-foundation/

22/10/2026

On Borneo, the current drought is a severe test of survival – especially for a new orangutan mother, who must also find the strength and nourishment needed for her infant 🧡

On sanctuary islands, rehabilitated orangutans are preparing for life in the wild, under the constant supervision of caretakers.

Along the riverbank, beneath the scorching sun, an orangutan mother carries her little one, ensuring it has food, shade, and safety. But the longer the drought persists, the harder it becomes for the orangutan to meet these vital needs – both for herself and her offspring.

Support local efforts on Borneo to secure food and provide special care for the orangutans during the drought:
https://savetheorangutan.org.uk/donate/

19/10/2026

Summit season is upon us…

and although the biodiversity summit, COP17, which begins today, may be less well-known than the climate summit, it is just as important.

The goals set to halt the sixth mass extinction are, in fact, far from being met. This is despite the fact that up to a million species are threatened with extinction, including the orangutan, and that both humans and animals depend on functioning ecosystems.

“Naturally, we hope that the meeting leads to more effective implementation, funding that reaches local initiatives, and, not least, concrete protection of nature and habitats to safeguard wild animal populations. It is also crucial that local communities and Indigenous peoples are involved and have a say, and that their rights regarding forest management are upheld,” explains Marie Sigvardt, Director of Save the Orangutan.

At the COP17 biodiversity summit, representatives of governments from around the world will review previous agreements made to protect nature and biodiversity. Most people have heard of the climate COP, the annual summit where countries gather to discuss and agree on goals for addressing the climate...

17/10/2026

Viral clips show young orangutans and other primates, including Punch, carrying plush animals. It may look cute, but is it really beneficial for them?

For young orangutans that have lost their mothers, a simple stuffed animal can offer comfort during their vulnerable moments. It provides companionship in the early stages of rehabilitation, when caregivers are still perceived as a threat. But this is only temporary, until the orangutan feels more at home at the centre🧡

15/10/2026

She survived the flames. Now, her healing journey begins. ❤️‍🩹

Her encounter with the scorched earth has left a permanent mark on Novita, who was rescued just a few weeks ago. But she survived, is now receiving intensive treatment, and there is hope that one day she can return to the forest where she belongs.

Read more about rescues from the forest fires here: https://savetheorangutan.org/2026/10/15/novita-was-trapped-surrounded-by-forest-fires/

13/10/2026

Orangutans who can’t live in the wild also deserve a dignified life 🌿

A major construction project is underway at Nyaru Menteng, the world’s largest orangutan rehabilitation centre. It involves excavating a large number of new islands that will eventually become home to orangutans who, for physical or psychological reasons, can never be released back into the wild.

Many of them currently reside at the rehabilitation center in facilities where they are cared for and supported through enrichment activities. The aim is for as many as possible to live in a natural environment on the islands, where conditions are optimal for practicing wild behaviors but with fewer natural threats. This initiative makes a tangible difference for the orangutans who deserve a dignified and natural life.

11/10/2026

The rainforest is burning, and it will have serious consequences for the already critically endangered orangutan.

Help us put out the fires:
https://savetheorangutan.org.uk/super-el-nino/