Tree Monkey Project/Borneo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest Island in the world, located south of mainland Malaysia and Singapore, to the east of the Island Java and North of Sumatra. It is made up of 3 countries, close to 75% of which is Indonesia, 25% Malaysia and a very small territory for Brunei. 

 

Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world with some of the richest biological diversity, second only to the Amazon. One of it's unique qualities includes being the only home of the Endangered Borneo and Sumatran Orangutans.

 

Orangutans

 

Orangutans are becoming endangered due to the loss of jungle habitat from illegal logging, illegal mining and the over-development of palm oil plantations.  They are also being traded illegally as pets and for the exotic food markets of East Asia.  

 

Many non-profits are working tirelessly to save these wonderful animals from extinction.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Monkey Project / Borneo

 

In March and April of 2016, Tree Monkey Project will be headed to the Islands of Borneo to train non-profit organizations how to climb trees to help with rescue, rehabilitation and research of orangutans.  We will be working with Project Orangutan and its associates to help teach the staff tree climbing skills and better equip them to insure the future survival of the Orangutans as well as other species of jungle animals.  

 

We have 6 different orangutan and other animal non-profit groups on the list to instruct:

 

                                       - Orangutan Project (us!)

                                       - International Animal Rescue

                                       - Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) -                                              potentially 2 locations Samboja                                                Lestari and Nyaru Menteng

                                       - KWPLH (beruangmadu.org)

                                       - BSBCC

                                       - Orangutan Foundation International                                          (OFI) 

                                       - OuTrop - based in Mawas

 

 

 

 

The goal is simply to leave each centre with members of staff that can competently and safely climb the trees within their field sites on Borneo. This is an essential skill for everyday work at these centres with tasks including (but not limited to):

 

 Research

Orangutans and many of the animals in the rainforest are arboreal and live the majority of their lives in the trees. Tracking released orangutans and other animals. Capturing of collared animals to retrieve collars. Retrieving animals for health checks.  

 

Rehabilitation

Many rescued orangutans are orphaned babies that no longer have their mothers carrying them and training them to climb trees. Currently they have local Indonesian women "babysitters" that take them to wooden jungle gyms in the forest that are built to about 12-14ft tall. Yet orangutans normally spend 70% of their lives in the high tree canopy and the babysitters don't climb. Trained climbers will use their skills to create ways of encouraging baby orangutans to explore higher in the canopy to reconnect with their natural abilities to climb. 

 

Rescue

Many orangutans get caught in a forest that is about to or being cut down, or find their way into a palm plantation and get lost. Project Orangutan as well as other centers has a trained group of rescuers that will find and dart the orangutans to rescue them. After the orangutan is drugged it frequently will fall out of the trees and the rescuers can obtain and remove them. But in many cases the orangutan will find or fall into a crotch of a tree or onto a limb, in which case a rescuer will have to climb the tree by hand without equipment which can lead to an injury or death of the rescuer by falling out of the trees. Technical tree climbing techniques using ropes, harnesses and equipment help rescuers to retrieve the orangutans safely and may even in cases bring the orangutan down from the trees gently as well.

 

Maintenance

Tree climbing will help to trim trees around enclosure and pens to keep animals from escaping as well install, fix fencing on high walls and provide safety when working on climbing towers and observation decks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donations

  In order for Tree Monkeys to Provide these important skills to the non-profits we are looking for Donations to fund these areas:

Transportation and lodging costs for one instructor and two assistants.

Purchasing gear kits to leave with trained personal. 

Costs of shipping gear.

Guides, Food and transportation to each individual training site.