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This is the way it always begins. A frightened baby robbed of its mother. and a life in the wild. Now only human compassion and a revolutionary rescue program can make it right. In the quarantine wing of the Naru Mennang Rescue and Rehab Center located in Indonesian Borneo, a new arrival is comforted.
She's a little girl They arrive here with a little skinny or so little like so tiny. Veterinarian Arga can tell by how many teeth she has that she's around 9 months old. At this age, she should weigh at least 4 to 5 kilos, but she's less than half of that. She was discovered on a flooded riverbank by some teenagers while out fishing. There was no sign of her mother. The vets name her Topan, which means hurricane or flooding in Javanese.
She's so malnourished, Arga realizes she probably hasn't eaten for at least a week. I hold her really close to me, to my chest, so it will make her feel warm and feel my heartbeat. Just want to make her calm. Topan's not the only newcomer here. In the last fortnight, three other rescued orphans have also arrived. Suzanne, Josh, and Tamer, each with their own story of loss and tragedy. Suzanne was rescued from a wooden crate in which she'd likely been kept for months. Although the villagers claimed they'd only found her recently.
Despite her ordeal, she appears relatively healthy. 18-month-old Josh was rescued a week ago from a mining village, a full day's drive away. He has a broken wrist, an injury that probably happened when his mother was attacked and killed. In remote villages, wild orangutans can be killed for raiding crops and sometimes as a source of meat. The most unusual arrival was Tamer.
He turned up with his own media entourage after his story made international news. He had been rescued from U8 in the Middle East where he was kept as an illegal pet by an oil chic who was also a criminal drug dealer. What happened to Tamer in his first year of life is unknown, but it's clear he's been severely traumatized.
Despite the distressing start to their lives, these four young orphans now have a chance to begin a journey through one of the boldest conservation experiments of the 21st century. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation Rescue Sanctuary is like nowhere else on Earth. It's a unique school where the orphans learn all the survival skills their mothers would have taught them from a team of specially trained humans. Becoming orangutan can take up to 8 years. the length of time a wild baby depends on its mother. So there's much to learn before these orphans will be ready to return to the wild. To reach that pinnacle of graduation, every student must master the jungle
school curriculum. Just like a human school, the students are divided into groups according to their age and skills from nursery school through junior and senior school. Once they've achieved all the milestones at each level, there's one more huge step in the process, the pre-release islands.
Protected by the Rungan River, these islands are a semi- wild testing ground where the students put everything they've learned into practice. kind of like college. They get supplementary food drops, but other than that, they have to fend for themselves. Some graduates even have babies here and pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Once a student has proven themsself on a pre-release island, they can graduate to the ultimate goal. A life in the true wild where they belong.
All newcomers start their journey with a health exam. We check tuberculosis X-ray. Maybe something happened before. Maybe she get fracture or something else. So we check it all. Today it's Topan and Suzan's turn. Suzanne sedated to minimize stress. Throat swabs, blood tests. A dental check and even fingerprint impressions are mandatory.
It's Topan's turn. But our goose decides immediately that it's too dangerous to sedate this little girl in her emaciated state. The more invasive tests can be delayed until she's a healthier weight. But she must get an X-ray today to rule out tuberculosis. We make it more important for tuberculos this because this is so dangerous for another round. Any outbreak of this contagious disease would be a disaster in the close living quarters of these orphaned orangutans.
Thankfully, Topan's lungs are clear. She can finish her tests when she gains some weight. In the meantime, all four newcomers will complete a 4-week quarantine period, and once their health status is approved, they'll join the others. This is where the education formally begins.
Each day starts with the school bus ride to their outdoor classrooms. The nursery school students are divided into two groups. The one to twoyear-olds join the biggies while those under one are in the littleies. In nursery class, the curriculum is simple. The surrogate mothers known as babysitters gently introduce their little students to the basics. Babysister. Orangutans spend around 90% of their lives in the treetops. So you could say this is a necessity for becoming orangutan.
On pre-release Bangamat Island, Vista teaches her 5-month-old son V to climb by just hanging out in the canopy. But at jungle school, this is what happens. It's not perfect, but it seems to work. In climbing 101, when the students are reluctant, their teachers will do whatever it takes to get them where they belong. Report cards are marked every day. And like human kids, some are naturals, In junior school, 2-year-old Malikica is flunking climbing class. While her classmates practice, she prefers to watch.
Malikica was only a week old when she lost her mother to a forest fire. A village woman rescued her and raised her as if she were a human baby for a year and a half. She slept in a cot and wore baby onesies. It stands to reason that she's still struggling to be an orangutan. She must catch up or she'll be held back when the others graduate to the next class. Malikica is not the only student failing to climb. However, Benny cannot claim a recent traumatic backstory as an excuse.
He's been at school for 3 years now and has adopted a curriculum different to his friends. Followed by this. Then some more of this. His classmates, Valentino, Utrus, and Madara, are having fun in the trees above. Eventually, Benny seems to think he should join them.
It's not that he doesn't know how to climb the problem because Benny really like a banana. It's really difficult for him because he's really fat. Oh my god. At nearly 30 kilos, he's twice as heavy as his classmates of the same age. and he hasn't yet learned to judge which branches can take his extra weight. No bananas for this scrawny with a boy. If he doesn't figure it out soon, Benny risks falling behind and he could be held back.
There's more to becoming an orangutan than just climbing. Every night, wild orangutans construct a new nest high in the canopy to sleep in. They weave branches together and line the inside with leaves. At jungle school, the youngest babies begin this lesson on the ground.
Miracle baby Topan is fattening up in the Little Ease group. So, babysitter Mie decides to introduce her to her first nest. She seems to be catching on. But her main takeaway is discovering that her bedding is delicious.
In Biggie's class, the 2-year-olds are supposed to practice weaving and packing higher up in a tree. While in junior school, three-year-old Merrill was being a brat. Fartia, however, is making real progress today. But Merryill's daydreaming could see her fall behind her classmates.
Back in the Biggies group, just as class is winding down, babysitter Rousini spies something extraordinary. It's Bravis. He's found an old nest and he's woven in some fresh branches and is packing them like a pro. For a 2-year-old who's only been in jungle school for a couple of months, this will earn him an A+ on today's report card.
Every day at Jungle School introduces something new from the curriculum. In the senior's classroom, the 5 to 8year-olds are mostly making great strides on their way to becoming wild. 5-year-old Chinta is one of the brightest in her class.
While jumbo a mama's boy at this level, lessons are less structured. But there are still important milestones everyone needs to master. Supervisor Muliono doesn't usually attend forest school classes. His appearance alerts everyone that something's up.
Jati is even more daring. But there's safety in numbers. It's a deadly keeled pit viper, only made of rubber, but it looks real enough to the orangutans. This is just the response Muliono hoped for. Terrifying the students like this has an important purpose. Borneo is home to over a 100 snake species, many of them highly venomous.
Without their mothers to teach them about snake danger, it's up to their human caretakers. Jumbo seems to think he's safe with the babysitters. But they know their students learn by example, so they all play their part. Litty and Lanting have the right idea, but their escape strategy could use some work. Chinta and Jati get top marks for their getaway.
This lesson will be reinforced throughout the students education because it's one which might save their lives one day. Over in junior class, a much more enjoyable lesson is about to begin, which is equally as important for the orphan survival in the wild. Coconuts are on today's menu, but there's a catch. The students must learn how to crack them open. Babysitter letter shows them how it's done.
Mumut catches on straight away. Valentino's determined. Valentino must learn to do this on his own before he can graduate to senior school. On pre-release Bangamat Island, those babies lucky enough to be born to a jungle school graduate get to learn from their own mother.
6-month-old Pungie's only nutrition so far has been his mom's milk. But just like a human baby, he's starting to show interest in what she's eating. By watching and tasting, Pungie will learn what's edible, where to find it, and how to eat it. When his hands grow big enough
at jungle school, it's up to the babysitters to pass on a mother's knowledge. There's much to learn, which is why the curriculum includes multiple units on foraging from termites For today's next lesson, the teachers are getting creative. This game encourages the youngsters to climb for their food and prepares them to forage in swaying forest canopies up to 50 m off the ground.
Valentino's timing is off. As usual, he looks for a shortcut. Are you coming? After the students have passed all their lessons, there comes an important decision. Who's ready for the pre-release islands? The selection process is never taken lightly. Each student's report card is scrutinized closely by the staff. 14-year-old females and BFFs, Julia and Zelipa, completed the curriculum with flying colors and have been waiting for their turn on
a pre-release island for months. With limited space on the islands, sometimes there's a queue of orangutans waiting for a place. Today is finally the day for Tulia and Zelipa's transfer to semi wild living. It's just a short boat ride to the girl's new home, and it's time to graduate to the final stage of their education, where there'll be minimal contact with their human caretakers and lots of freedom.
on neighboring Palace Island. These graduates demonstrate how their jungle school skills continue to advance during their self-directed education. Big female Manuk husks coconuts like a boss. She can access the sweet milk in less than 20 seconds flat. 12-year-old Rooties, a pro at nest building. and Uji's mastered the art of the tree vault. There are no actual lessons here, but the students are still graded daily. The island guardians known as techni closely observe the residents.
The graduates report cards are more important than ever and will play a pivotal role in deciding who will be chosen next for a wild release. But freedom doesn't come without its challenges. And vet Fiat is in charge of the tranquilizers. When an orangutan candidate has been selected for wild release, capturing them is a complex operation. The wilder they are, the more challenging and dangerous these adults are to handle. Tranquilizing darts are the safest way for both the apes and the team.
The target is a huge male, the most aggressive of all the graduates. So a little bit make us um nervous I think. Hey, it's Casper, a 16-year-old 80 kg ape with the strength of seven men. Orangutans generally don't swim, so the river is the safest place. Casper's aggression is exactly how a dominant male should behave, which is why he's been selected for a truly wild release.
The shot hits a branch and Casper isn't going to stick around. Back at Jungle School, wild release is still a long way off for the nursery school students. Baby Mochi still has many years to go before he'll become a dominant male like Casper. In the meantime, there's a lot to learn. A swarm of tiny stingless bees protecting a honeyfilled hive is the perfect opportunity for a special lesson.
But a dab of honey water provides incentive. Everyone needs to learn to access the honey hidden inside the tree. This might work, How about a tool? Orangutans are one of the most inventive tool users in the animal kingdom.
These youngsters now hold the key to a complex skill few animals possess. But it will take some time to master. Back on the Rungan River, it's take two of Operation Catch Casper for wild release. The huge male has relocated to what he considers an inaccessible spot, but he's an easy target this time for the sniper. With the seditive working its way through his body, he's in danger of falling. And from this height, the impact could be deadly. With just minutes before the seditive takes effect, the team must work fast. Immediately, vet Marios checks the unconscious male for injuries. But he made it through unscathed.
Yeah. Casper's on his way back to Naru Menning one last time before he will begin the final leg of his journey to the wild. Back at the main compound, another full day of class has come to an end. The seniors join the juniors on the lawn for one final snack and play before it's time for bed.
Like human children, playtime is an essential part of the curriculum here. The unique social nature of jungle school can help accelerate the orphan's education as they learn from each other. So playing nicely together is important. While everyone else goofs off, big boy Benny is actually practicing tool use. Of course, it's the sweet honey which is motivating him. It's been a fruitful day of learning, but it's soon time for bed. Benny and the other students will need all the rest they can get for another action-packed day of lessons tomorrow.
700 a.m. marks the beginning of another school day. And as always, everyone's enthusiastic. It's another day full of fun and survival lessons for the jungle school students. But for Casper, it's time to graduate. His journey to becoming orangutan at Naru ment is at an end. He's about as orangutan as it gets.
It's now time for Casper to hit the road. He's on his way to a new home in the remote Batacap National Park in the heart of Borneo. for all the people who help this rehabilitation. It's just highest achievement to see them can adapt with wild again like it's amazing. Casper was just 2 years old when the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation took over his care. Finally, after 14 years, he's on his way to freedom, wellprepared for survival in the wild.
Casper is just one of over 450 jungle school graduates that have now been returned to the forests of Borneo. I will be very happy every time back to the forest. Tiny Topan's education is only just beginning. She's got a long way to go to become an orangutan. But one day it will be her turn to return to the wild.
