NYARU MENTENG II
A Second Chance At Freedom
Not every orangutan can return to the wild.
Some arrive with permanent injuries. Others have chronic health conditions or spent so many years in captivity that they never learned the skills needed to survive independently. While they may never be released, they still deserve a life filled with freedom, dignity, and the opportunity to be orangutans.
Your support can help build Sanctuary Islands: forested homes where unreleasable orangutans can leave their enclosures behind and live in a safe, natural environment for the rest of their lives.
Your donation doubled
Help us raise £26,000 today
Help us raise $35,000 today
- 2%
WARU
Waru was just two years old and weighed only 2.4kg when he was rescued from an oil palm plantation in 2004, without his mother. After years of rehabilitation, it became clear that Waru struggled to socialize with other orangutans and was unable to develop the skills needed for life in the wild.
Now 23, Waru needs a different kind of home. A Sanctuary Island where he can be closely monitored could give him the space and freedom he needs while keeping him safe.
ALFA
Alfa was confiscated as a young orangutan in 1999 and spent three years on a Pre-release Island learning the skills he would need to survive in the wild. Despite every effort, he was never able to develop the independence needed for release. He was later treated for a serious respiratory condition, further ruling out a return to the wild.
Today, Alfa is 30 years old. He may never be able to live independently in the rainforest, but he can still experience life beyond an enclosure. A Sanctuary Island could give Alfa the space to climb, explore and live in a more natural environment.
ADIL
Adil was rescued in 2013 at six years old and went on to graduate from Forest School before moving to a Pre-release Island. She came remarkably close to returning to the wild, but a veterinary examination in 2021 revealed that almost 70% of her teeth were severely damaged and needed to be removed.
Without enough healthy teeth, there is no way to know whether Adil could safely forage and survive in the wild. Her release was no longer possible. Adil still deserves the chance to live a rich and natural life. A Sanctuary Island could give her the space, freedom and forest environment she needs to thrive.
Every Orangutan Deserves a Life Beyond Bars
For orangutans who cannot be released, an enclosure should never be the final chapter.
Sanctuary Islands are carefully designed forest habitats surrounded by secure waterways rather than cages. Here, orangutans can climb trees, build nests, forage for food, socialize with other compatible individuals, and make their own choices, all while remaining safe under the care of BOS Foundation.
This is the closest possible life to the wild.
A life of freedom still awaits, but the orangutans need your help to get there.
Your donation will help complete Sanctuary Islands, where unreleasable orangutans can leave cages behind and spend the rest of their lives surrounded by trees, fresh air, and the freedom to simply be orangutans.
© Sam Rios
Help us raise £26,000 today
Help us raise $35,000 today
- 2%
Milestones
Progress So Far
2024 – 2026
- Canals for all 15 Sanctuary Islands have now been excavated.
- Islands A and C have been completed and planted with native plants and trees.
- Once vegetation grows, selection will begin for island candidates to move in
- To help speed the reforestation process, BOS Foundation is building a seedling nursery in front of the clinic-office to prepare the plants quickly.
- Construction continues to bring the remaining islands at Nyaru Menteng II to life.
Every milestone brings another orangutan one step closer to life beyond an enclosure.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
29 NOVEMBER 2023
We’re breaking new ground on building our much-needed Sanctuary Islands! In Nyaru Menteng 2, Island A is 70% completed. We are also building the mess halls for caretakers, including creating access roads. In 2024, construction is slated to begin on Island C.
A New Beginning for Orangutans Like Jujun
For more than two decades, Jujun lived behind enclosure bars.
Rescued as a young orangutan and later diagnosed with Orangutan Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ORDS), he could never be released into the rainforest. But thanks to Sanctuary Island #5 at Samboja Lestari, Jujun recently experienced something extraordinary.
At 27 years old, he climbed into a forest home for the very first time.
After years living in an enclosure, he can now swing through trees, breathe fresh forest air, and experience a more natural life surrounded by nature.
His story is proof that even when release isn’t possible, a second chance still is.
Your donation doubled
ISLAND PROGRESS UPDATE
18 OCTOBER 2023
Thanks to YOUR support, we’ve raised over £14,000 of our £18,000 goal. Progress has been made with ground being identified, and 1 existing island to be developed and repaired into 3 islands to house more unreleasable orangutans!
DONATIONS TRIPLED FOR IOD 2023
18 AUGUST 2023
In honour of International Orangutan Day, we’re TRIPLING donations for our Sanctuary Islands campaign from 18 August – 20 August. Help us reach our goal to build and repair 13 islands combined for orangutans who cannot be safely released back into the wild with TRIPLE DONATION MATCHING for #IOD2023!
DONATION MATCHING CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES
9 JUNE 2023
We’re thrilled to kick off our latest project to raise money for building sanctuary islands for unreleasable orangutans! Thanks to a generous donor, all donations up to £18,000 will be matched in full, doubling the total donations! As we get updates on buildings and more possible candidates for release, we’ll update this page with even more info!
