A difficult fate, caused by humans

Hope was brought to our Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre seriously injured on 10 March 2019. People had shot at her to protect their crops. As a result, she not only lost her sight, but also her baby, who died on the way to the Centre. Despite successful operations and a long recovery period, Hope remained deeply traumatised. She recovered physically, but her psychological wounds did not heal. In her last few months, her health deteriorated noticeably: Hope showed little appetite, and her activity decreased. Ultimately, she suffered a stroke and died despite emergency measures.

With a lot of patience and individualised care, our team tried to improve Hope’s quality of life and accompany her on her way to a recuperation. She was allocated a future home on an island in the Orangutan Haven. However, due to her poor mental state, it was not possible to give her a new life in the countryside.

Hope was a unique animal whose fate touched us deeply. The traumatic experiences she had to endure are unfortunately still far too common on Sumatra. We are working with our partner organisations to prevent human-animal conflicts as far as possible through educational work, training, and by helping the local population to help themselves. We will not forget Hope and her fate.