Jeffrey’s journey to freedom

Jeffrey, a 23-year-old male orangutan, has been living on a pre-release island for over a year now. So it is a perfect time to give you an update on how he is doing.

Before we could move Jeffrey to his new home, our veterinary team from Samboja Lestari had to treat him for hip dysplasia. Three months later, after Jeffrey’s pelvic bones were repositioned and he had fully recovered, the team decided to give him another opportunity to live on an island. That way, he could further hone his survival skills and become more independent.

Jeffrey is enjoying some fresh fruits on the feeding platform.

Several technicians aided the move, with our veterinary team performing a final examination of Jeffrey while he was sedated. They then transferred the impressive-looking male by truck and boat.

The island technicians tasked with monitoring Jeffrey noted that he immediately built a nest on the feeding platform by piling up leaves and twigs. After finishing his ‘bed’, he moved on to explore his new surroundings. For a cheek-padded male, Jeffrey was reportedly quite calm.

Twice daily, Jeffrey patiently waits for the technicians to arrive at the island to deliver fruits and vegetables at the feeding platform. He always observes as the technicians approach in their boat, carrying supplementary food for him and the other orangutan inhabitants of the island.

Our team believes that Jeffrey may have the potential to be released back into the wild in the future. We hope that he will remain in good health and keeps improving the required skills to become a candidate for release in the Kehje Sewen Forest.

Way to go, Jeffrey!

You can support orangutans like Jeffrey here.