Charlotte, a young female orangutan, was freed in the Busang forest, in Borneo, after a long rehabilitation journey at the Jungle School, the jungle school for orangutans rescued from captivity. Found as a puppy chained under the terrace of a house in Sumatra, her life seemed marked: deprived of freedom and separated from her mother, she was destined to suffer physically and mentally.
But that wasn’t the case. Her name is no coincidence: Charlotte means “free woman” in French, and each day of training brought her closer and closer to the life that was rightfully hers. The Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance (BORA), in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment and the Orangutan Project, oversaw every phase of his recovery.
Learning from Jungle School
Orangutans have one of the longest childhoods of any species: they are born without knowledge and learn everything from their mothers, from safe foods to techniques for avoiding predators, building nests and moving through trees. Deprived of these lessons, orphaned orangutans risk death if left alone.
At Jungle School, Charlotte learned to climb trees, forage for natural food, build safe nests and use simple tools, under the guidance of human caregivers who replaced the maternal figure. Where previously she had received inadequate food – bread, sweets and chips – Charlotte now knows fruits, leaves and insects, essential for her survival in nature.
Emotional and mental healing
The period of captivity had left profound traces: Charlotte was afraid of almost everyone, she retreated when faced with new stimuli and slept on the ground instead of in the nests. Jungle School doesn’t just teach physical skills: it promotes mental and emotional healing, transforming a fearful orangutan into a courageous and joyful one.
Caregivers teach how to dig into trunks to find termites, fold leaves to form soft nests, and swing between branches safely. Each gesture, repeated several times a day, contributes to making Charlotte autonomous and ready to live in her natural habitat.
Liberation in the forest
After four years, Charlotte was moved to a pre-release island, where she was able to practice all the skills she learned, spending most of her time in the tree canopy. Today, Charlotte finally lives free in the Busang ecosystem, together with other previously rescued orangutans such as Mary, Jojo, Bonti and Popi.
Charlotte’s success shows the importance of targeted rehabilitation programs, which allow orphaned orangutans to regain freedom and live safely in their natural habitat. Each phase, from arrival at the Jungle School to full autonomy, was made possible thanks to the support of caregivers and donors who believed in its rebirth.
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