School of hard knocks

Project goal: establishing a new orangutan population in the Bukit Tigapuluh national park and protecting the lowland rainforest
Size: the Bukit Tigapuluh (also known as 30 hills) rainforest covers an area of around 2,700 square kilometers
Implementation: animals that were illegally held and confiscated are sent to a special jungle school to prepare for survival in the national park
Success: around 160 orangutans have so far been released into the wild

Bukit Tigapuluh, known as “30 Hills” is one of the last lowland rainforests in Sumatra with an astonishing level of biodiversity. The region is home to tigers, elephants, tapirs and orangutans. But the forest cover is declining as the paper- and palm oil industry booms. The ecosystem is under pressure and with it the habitat of the animals. In just two decades, the population of orangutans has halved with just around 6,000 primates left in Sumatra. The Zoological Society of Frankfurt (ZGF) runs a release center where around 200 orangutans are being trained for a life in the wild. The school is hard work since the animals have never learned how to hunt for food or climb a tree.

A film by Inga Sieg