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Budi

Male , 11 years old

About Budi

Budi is growing up fast and is almost unrecognizable from the frail, ill orangutan who arrived at the centre many years ago. Budi loves his forest fruit and his lips are often stained bright red from eating so many! Seeing him now swinging and climbing amongst the trees brings us great joy. Now Budi is staying in Forest School for 24 hours a day, he is learning how to survive on his own and is a brilliant candidate for eventual release back in to the wild.

Budi is showing fantastic progress but he still has a long way to go. The keepers have a lot of confidence in him as he has a fantastic ability to learn and willingness to never give up. In the wild, Budi would stay with his mother for up to seven years, learning all the skills necessary to live a life in the forest. We can’t ever replace his mother, but we will do our best to ensure he is given the best chance. His keepers have a lot of confidence in him and his skillset has developed beyond anything they would expect at this stage of rehabilitation. Budi is always spotted exploring high in the trees on his own – solo exploration is a very natural male orangutan behaviour.

Adopt Budi today to receive regular exclusive updates and join him on his journey back to the wild.

Budi's Story

For the first year of his life, baby orangutan Budi was kept as a pet in a chicken cage and fed entirely on condensed milk. A local from Kubing in Ketapang had been keeping Budi as a pet and could no longer cope when he became very unwell. In December 2014, Budi’s misery and suffering came to an end when he was finally rescued.

His condition was extremely critical during the journey to the rescue centre, which took more than 10 hours by boat and by road. Ever since Budi was captured whilst still a small baby, he had never been given solid food which resulted in severe malnutrition. His body was swollen up with fluid owing to the lack of protein. The initial reports from the veterinary staff who were monitoring Budi closely on his journey stated that he was extremely weak, unable to move and suffering from severe anaemia.

“We cannot even imagine how much pain this small baby has suffered… His eyes fill with tears every time he’s moved by the doctors and he screams in pain. It’s really amazing that Budi has been able to survive this long” – Dr. Karmele L Sanchez, IAR Indonesia’s Programme Director.

Budi at the centre
Budi in a chicken cage

Thankfully, Budi survived the long journey to the rescue center and was admitted to quarantine where he would be monitored round the clock by a team of expert veterinarians. At first, he didn’t have the strength to sit up on his own and his malnutrition left his limbs painfully swollen and bent. Luckily, Budi responded well to treatment and began his slow recovery to good health. He started to find the strength to sit up on his own and unsupported for short periods of time and the metabolic disease that was affecting his bones was being treated.

All the food he was eating had to be blended as he had not learnt how to chew, but he really enjoyed sucking on slices of orange! Within a few short weeks, Budi was starting to pull himself up using low branches of foliage in his quarantine quarters which delighted his carers – he had already come such a long way from his tragic case of neglect as a young baby.

Budi in quarantine
Budi on a climbing frame

Budi continued to improve everyday but as the swelling and pain in his body receded, his misshapen and weak muscles were revealed. The vets began vital physical therapy to ensure his little body would begin developing correctly. Each day, Budi became happier and healthier, enjoying being out in the sunshine in his hammock. When he saw food arriving he would open his mouth wide and holds onto the vet’s hand to help her guide it in! He would get worn out very quickly from his daily physiotherapy sessions but they would be essential in making his arms and legs stronger.

In the wild, orangutans spend 90% of their time in the trees so if Budi was with his mother in the forest, he would be constantly clinging to her side as she moved through the trees. Therefore, it is vital that Budi gains his ability to climb if he is ever to be released in to the wild.

Budi’s appetite began to mature and he was soon eating more solid foods. He had a very big appetite and his favourite foods included banana, cucumber, tomato, aubergine and guava. He was not so keen on his leafy greens!

Budi in rehab
Budi in rehab

Once Budi was well enough, he was introduced to another baby orangutan – Jemmi! Although Budi is older than Jemmi, his development is behind due to the lack of nutrition prior to his rescue and his subsequent health problems. Neither Budi nor Jemmi had met another orangutan since being taken from their mothers at a very young age. He then proceeded to spend his days with Jemmi in their enclosure, playing on the ropes and branches. When Budi was taken in to the day enclosure he would keep looking back for Jemmi and would cry for him if left on his own. At the end of their days they both shared a hammock in the clinic!

Baby orangutan Budi meets another orangutan for the first time.

As Budi continued to go from strength to strength, his muscles became stronger and he became a confident climber! He would sometimes lose his balance when walking but when he fell over he really loved the feeling of playing in the dirt and sand and would roll around and push his face in it, before pulling himself up. He was at a very mischievous age and loved to slide about on the tiled floor of his night area for fun.

Budi and Jemmi were then introduced to some of the orangutans at Baby School for the very first time. It was amazing to see how the others welcomed the pair in to the group. The first to come and greet Budi were the big boys, Anjas and Rocky. They were closely monitored to ensure that the play didn’t get too rough for the little ones! It is normal in orangutan play situations to have lots of hair pulling and play biting and after just a few minutes Budi was giving as good as he was getting! Joyce took a lot of interest in Budi and was very sweet and gentle with him. Budi continued to enjoy getting dirty in the sand but after half an hour he sought out the comfort and security of Chacha. Budi really loved Baby School and would visit for half an hour each day, returning home for lunch!

Budi began to grow more independent, he became a brilliant little climber and was less dependent on the security of his friend Jemmi. He gained a new friend in baby orangutan Jacko and they could often be seen clinging to one another and sharing meals.

Budi at baby school
BUDI AND JEMMI MAKE NEW FRIENDS

After two years undergoing rehabilitation, Budi made such good progress that he graduated from Baby School and entered in to Forest School! This is a real step up for infant orangutans and they have to display specific behaviours before they are deemed ready to move on to the next stage of their journey towards eventual release back in to the wild. The first indication that Budi would be ready for Forest School was when he refused to leave the forest and return to his den at the end of the day. He was no longer dependent on humans and did not show any desire to share his nest with his friends – he was growing with confidence every day.

Budi loves to seek out rotten branches and eat the termites and ants within and can be seen testing various leaves for their taste. He is still currently in Forest School, spending his time in the highest of trees in Pulau Monyet. He is learning the survival skills he will need in the wild and can now confidently build a nest for sleeping in at night. He is a very popular orangutan and can often be seen teaching others what he has learnt!

Budi at forest school
Budi at forest school

After 8 years of rehabilitation, Budi has been released back into his rightful home - the wild. Budi’s triumphant return to the wild is a testament to the unwavering dedication and collaboration between government authorities, NGOs, local communities, and corporations committed to conserving Bornean orangutan populations.

Budi was released in to Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park along with five other orangutans in June 2023. The release operation started out from YIARI’s rehabilitation centre in Ketapang on 22 June and took four days of travel and trekking through the jungle to the release site. The location in the National Park was chosen because the condition of the forest was in accordance with the habitat orangutans need, as well as the abundance of trees that would provide enough food for orangutans. Although the release site was remote and took a long time to reach, that meant it would provide excellent security for the released orangutans. 

Budi’s release is the happy ending we wish for all our animals and we couldn’t be prouder of him.

Budi release