Before the BOS Foundation team rescued Bujang at age 14, he lived in a circus where his captors forced him to work as a ‘performer’.
Tragically, when the veterinarians assessed Bujang, he exhibited no natural behaviors, meaning he could never return to the wild as it would have been too dangerous for him.
So instead, a special, moated Sanctuary Island was built for him and a female friend at Samboja Lestari, where he can now live out his days under medical supervision with space to roam and trees to climb.
Bujang doesn’t like men very much, probably due to his treatment at the circus, but loves the female staff and is a bit of a show-off.
You can probably see Bujang on his island if you join our yoga retreat or expedition in Borneo.
Bujang’s story reminds us that orangutans should never be kept as petsor forced to perform for or pose with humans. They belong in the wild, or in Bujang’s case, should live as wild as possible.
If you want to support Bujang and our other permanent residents, please consider giving to our Sanctuary Island Campaign to help us build more islands for unreleasable orangutans.
