How to Save a Baby Orangutan

Gerhana lay in the dirt. He was sick, starving, and alone. Death was closing in on the baby orangutan.

Just a few months earlier, Gerhana had been a healthy newborn. He clung to his mother’s side. They lived in the bright-green rainforests of Borneo. That’s an island in Southeast Asia.

All around them, the jungle burst with life. Flying squirrels glided from tree to tree. Monkeys perched in the branches. Lizards the size of crocodiles darted across the forest floor. Gem-colored frogs leaped through the mud. Leopards hunted their dinner.

Baby Gerhana [guhr-HAH-nuh] and his mother snuggled together each night. They slept in a leafy nest high in the treetops.

But one day, disaster struck. Gerhana’s mother was killed. She was probably shot by a hunter hired to keep orangutans away from crops.

Gerhana lay in the dirt. He was sick and alone.

Gerhana [guhr-HAH-nuh] had been a healthy baby. He used to live wIth his mother in the rainforest. They used to sleep in a leafy nest in the treetops.

The rainforest is in Borneo. That’s an island in Southeast Asia.

Gerhana’s mother had been killed. She was probably shot by someone who wanted to keep orangutans away from farms.

Gerhana lay in the dirt. He was sick, hungry, and alone. The baby orangutan was close to death.

Gerhana was born just a few months earlier. He had been a healthy baby who stayed at his mother’s side. They lived in the bright-green rainforests of Borneo. That’s an island in Southeast Asia.

The jungle was full of life. Flying squirrels glided from tree to tree. Monkeys sat in the branches. Lizards as big as crocodiles ran across the ground.

Bright frogs jumped through the mud. Leopards hunted their dinner.

Baby Gerhana [guhr-HAH-nuh] and his mother hugged each other at night. They slept in a leafy nest high in the treetops.

But one day, disaster struck. Gerhana’s mother was killed. She was probably shot by someone who wanted to keep orangutans away from crops. 

Gerhana lay in the dirt—sick, starving, and alone. Death was closing in.

Just a few months earlier, the baby orangutan had been a healthy newborn. He would cling to his mother’s side as she swung through the trees in the lush rainforests of Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia. All around them, the bright-green jungle burst with life. Flying squirrels glided from tree to tree. Fluffy brown monkeys perched in the branches. Lizards the size of crocodiles darted across the forest floor. Gem-colored frogs leaped through the mud, and leopards hunted their dinner.

Baby Gerhana [guhr-HAH-nuh] and his mother snuggled together each night in a comfy nest of leaves high in the treetops.

But then one day, disaster struck.

Gerhana’s mother was killed, probably shot by a hunter hired to keep orangutans away from crops.

Sadly, this is not uncommon, as more of the rainforest where orangutans live is being destroyed. Since the 1980s, about 30 percent of Borneo’s rainforests have been cleared by humans. Hundreds of millions of trees have been cut down for timber and to make room for coal mines and palm oil plantations. (Palm oil is found in many foods and products, including pizza dough, chocolate, and toothpaste.)

For orangutans like Gerhana, this deforestation is a catastrophe. Orangutans survive on the fruits and plants that grow in the rainforest. As their habitat shrinks, so does their source of food. To avoid starvation, the apes wander into places where humans live, looking for something to eat. But many humans see the orangutans as pests—like roaches and rats—and kill them.

Without his mother, Gerhana stood little chance of survival in the wild. For the first seven or so years of life, a baby orangutan is completely dependent on its mother. The two are never apart as the mother helps her baby learn how to find food, swing through the trees, and build a nest to sleep in.

Orphaned babies are doomed. Some starve. Many others are illegally captured and sold to private zoos, where they are forced to live behind bars.

No one is sure exactly what happened to Gerhana after his mother died. It is likely that he stayed by her side. Only six months old and unable to climb trees by himself, Gerhana would have been stranded. All he could have done was cry out—miserable, starving, and alone.

But help was on the way.

Since the 1980s, about 30 percent of Borneo’s rainforests have been cleared by humans. Hundreds of millions of trees have been cut down. Why? People use wood from the trees to make buildings. Cutting down trees also makes room for coal mines and palm oil farms. (Palm oil is found in many foods and products, such as pizza dough, chocolate, and toothpaste.)

This deforestation is a disaster for orangutans. They live on the fruits and plants that grow in the rainforest. As their habitat shrinks, so does their source of food. The apes wander into places where humans live, looking for food. But many humans see the orangutans as pests—like roaches and rats—and kill them.

Without his mother, Gerhana stood little chance of survival in the wild. For the first seven or so years of life, a baby orangutan depends completely on its mother. The two are never apart. The mother helps her baby learn how to find food, swing through the trees, and build a nest to sleep in.

Babies without a mother are doomed. Some starve. Others are illegally captured and sold to private zoos. Then they live behind bars.

No one knows exactly what happened to Gerhana after his mother died. It is likely that he stayed by her side. He was only six months old. He could not climb trees by himself. He would have been left completely alone.

But help was on the way.

Millions of trees have been cut down in Borneo. Why? People use the wood to make buildings. They also want to make room for other things, like palm oil farms.

This deforestation is a big problem for orangutans. Orangutans eat the food that grows in the rainforest. But when the rainforest is cut down, they have to find their food somewhere else. They look for food where humans live. And sometimes the orangutans are killed because of that.

Without his mother, Gerhana almost died. A baby orangutan cannot survive on its own. Mothers teach their babies how to find food and swing through the trees.

Luckily, help was on the way.

People came to pick Gerhana up. He needed medical help. Gerhana was taken to the Four Paws Orangutan Forest School. It was a six-hour ride to the school. Once he got there, caregivers fed him. They made sure he drank. He was given medicine and belly rubs. Everyone worked hard to help the baby orangutan.

Part of the rainforests in Borneo have been cleared away by humans. Millions of trees have been cut down. Why? People use wood from the trees to make buildings. Plus, cutting down trees makes room for other things. People put in coal mines. They plant palm oil farms. (Palm oil is used in many items, such as pizza dough, chocolate, and toothpaste.)

This deforestation is a big problem for orangutans. Orangutans eat the fruits and plants that grow in the rainforest. But their habitat is getting smaller, which means less food for the orangutans.

The apes wander into places where humans live. They are looking for food. But many humans see the orangutans as pests—like roaches and rats. Some of those humans kill the orangutans.

Without his mother, Gerhana was unlikely to survive in the wild. A baby orangutan needs its mother for almost seven years. The two are never apart. The mother helps her baby learn how to survive. She shows her baby how to find food, swing through the trees, and build a nest to sleep in.

Babies without a mother are doomed. Some die of hunger. Others are taken and sold to zoos. Then they live behind bars.

No one knows what happened to Gerhana after his mother died. He probably stayed right by her side. He was only six months old. He couldn’t climb trees by himself. He would have been completely alone. 

On January 30, 2018, a farmer called the local authorities and told them there was a baby orangutan—Gerhana—in his garden. The authorities picked Gerhana up and took him back to their headquarters. Gerhana needed medical attention—fast. He was dangerously underweight, dehydrated, and feverish. He also had no hair, a sign of malnutrition.

Fortunately, the authorities had a plan. They contacted the Four Paws Orangutan Forest School. At this extraordinary place in the heart of the rainforest, primatologist Signe Preuschoft and her staff care for orphaned orangutans.

The Forest School immediately sent a team to pick up Gerhana. The baby orangutan was terrified. He clung tightly to Yuli, a Forest School caregiver, for the entire six-hour ride to the school. After they arrived, Yuli and the other caregivers sprang into action. They worked around the clock. They fed him and made sure he drank. They gave him medicine and belly rubs.

On January 30, 2018, a farmer called the local officials. He said there was a baby orangutan in his garden. It was Gerhana. The officials picked Gerhana up and took him to their headquarters. He needed medical help. He was dangerously underweight. He was dehydrated and feverish. He also had no hair, a sign of malnutrition.

The officials contacted the Four Paws Orangutan Forest School. This is a special place deep in the rainforest. It’s where scientist Signe Preuschoft and her staff care for orphaned orangutans.

The Forest School sent a team to pick up Gerhana. He was very scared. It was a six-hour ride to the school. Gerhana clung to a caregiver the whole ride. Once there, the team got to work. They fed him and made sure he drank. They gave him medicine and belly rubs. They worked around the clock.

On January 30, 2018, a farmer called local officials. He said there was a baby orangutan in his garden. It was Gerhana. The officials came to get Gerhana. He needed medical help. He was very underweight. He was dehydrated and had a fever. He also had no hair. That’s a sign of malnutrition. 

The officials talked to the Four Paws Orangutan Forest School. This is a special place in the rainforest. It’s where scientist Signe Preuschoft cares for orangutans who need help.

The Forest School sent a team to pick up Gerhana. He was scared. It was a six-hour ride to the school. Gerhana hung onto a caregiver the whole time. Once there, the team got to work. They fed him and made sure he drank. They gave him medicine and belly rubs. They worked around the clock. 

As the days went by, Gerhana’s strength returned. It was clear that he would survive. With his health getting better, it was time for Gerhana to start his “lessons.”

In the wild, baby orangutans learn necessary survival skills by observing and imitating their mothers. At the Forest School, baby orangutans learn in much the same way. But instead of watching their mothers, they watch their human caregivers.

For example, in the wild, Gerhana might have seen his mother peel the bark away from a tree and eat the nutritious fibers underneath. At the school, human caregivers showed Gerhana how to do this. (Baby orangutans at the Forest School also learn by watching the older orangutans.)

As time goes on, the caregivers give the young apes more time to explore the forest on their own. Once the orangutans are healthy, fully grown, and independent, they are released back into the wild, where they belong. But this process can take 10 years or longer.

As the days went by, Gerhana got stronger. It was clear that he would survive. Now it was time for Gerhana to start his “lessons.”

In the wild, baby orangutans learn survival skills by watching their mothers. At the Forest School, they learn in much the same way. They watch their human caregivers.

In the wild, Gerhana might have seen his mother peel bark away from a tree. Orangutans eat the juicy layer beneath the bark. It contains nutrients, the vitamins and substances that animals, people, and plants need to grow healthy and strong.

At the Forest School, human caregivers showed Gerhana how to peel bark away from trees. Baby orangutans there could also learn by watching the older orangutans.

Over time, the caregivers give the young apes more time to explore the forest on their own. When the apes are ready, they are released back into the wild. That’s where orangutans belong. But this process can take 10 years or longer.

Gerhana got stronger. Soon it was time for him to start his “lessons.” Baby orangutans learn by watching their mothers. At the Forest School, they watch their human caregivers.

The Forest School does a lot to help orangutans. But the school can’t fix everything. Orangutans are in danger of extinction. Some laws stop people from cutting down trees. But the laws aren’t doing enough.

Protecting the rainforest won’t help only orangutans. It will also save thousands of other plants and animals.

Gerhana is now 3 years old. He loves to eat and play. He often wears a big leaf over his head like a hat! He still has a lot to learn. But his human caregivers will be there to help him.  

As the days went by, Gerhana got stronger. It was clear that he would live. Now it was time for Gerhana to start his “lessons.” 

In the wild, baby orangutans learn how to survive by watching their mothers. At the Forest School, they learn in a similar way. They watch their human caregivers.

In the wild, Gerhana might have seen his mother peel bark away from a tree. Orangutans eat the juicy layer underneath the bark. It contains nutrients. Those are the vitamins and substances that animals, people, and plants need to grow.

At the Forest School, humans showed Gerhana how to peel bark. Baby orangutans could also learn by watching the older orangutans.

Over time, the caregivers give young apes more time to explore the forest on their own.

When the apes are ready, they are sent back into the wild. But that could take 10 years or longer. 

As much as the Forest School is doing for orangutans, the problem is bigger than the school can solve on its own. Since 1950, orangutan populations have declined by about 80 percent. Orangutans are now in danger of extinction. There are laws in place to prevent deforestation, but more must be done to enforce them, Preuschoft says.

She points out that protecting orangutans helps more than just orangutans. Borneo’s rainforest is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. If humans protect the rainforest for orangutans, says Preuschoft, they will also be protecting thousands of other important plants and animals.

As for Gerhana, he is now a thriving 2-year-old with a coat of bright-red hair. He loves to play and is well-known around the school for his “cheeky grin.”

Preuschoft isn’t surprised by Gerhana’s remarkable recovery. “That’s typical of orangutans,” she says. “They are very resilient.”

Gerhana still has a lot to learn though. Fortunately, his many human moms and dads will be at his side, helping him every step of the way.