The devastating landslides that struck our Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre at the end of November 2024 also destroyed the woodland area where the young orangutans were being trained to survive in the rainforest. In the Forest School, the orangutans learn age-appropriate skills such as climbing, foraging and nest-building. We divide the Forest School into three classes, corresponding to the developmental stages of the young apes.
Orangutans younger than one year old are closely supervised by their keepers and still need a great deal of help. They gain their first climbing experience on bamboo structures near their enclosure. The curious infants explore this climbing area very cautiously.

At the ‘Infant Forest School’, young orangutans are supported through structured, playful exercises in a specially equipped environment. They are already practising their dexterity and agility in higher climbing areas, aided by ropes, hammocks and other elements. The aim is to strengthen their psychological resilience, self-confidence and adaptability. Some individuals, such as Cemara, are making particularly good progress, for example by climbing confidently and using the ropes skillfully.

Left: Cemara practises climbing at the Forest School for the little ones. Right: A keeper takes the young orangutans to the Forest School for advanced learners.

In the next phase, the ‘Social Forest School’, older juveniles take part in targeted survival training. The focus here is on acquiring key skills for life in the wild, including foraging independently, navigating and moving through the trees, and building sleeping nests.

Once the orangutans are five to six years old, our experts assess their behaviour. If it meets the release criteria and their social behaviour is stable, we gradually prepare them for reintroduction into the wild. To this end, we transfer them to one of the two protected rainforests in Jantho or Jambi, where they are initially kept under constant observation and where they become familiar with the available food resources. When all goes well, they will be released, and they will live independently in the wild.

«The forest school is a central part of the rehabilitation process. It gives the orangutans the chance to develop the necessary skills and prepare for an independent life in the wild – a crucial step back to freedom and a valuable contribution to the protection of their species.»

Brigitte Spillmann, Programme Manager Indonesia