International Animal Rescue’s orangutan project in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, and the recent rescue of baby Sindi is to feature in an exciting new French documentary to be broadcast on France 2 on 21 November.
Our rescue team is the focus of an episode entitled “Les orphelins du paradis” (“Wild orphans of Paradise”) as they mount an operation to rescue baby Sindi from her miserable life in captivity and then settle her in to the quarantine quarters at IAR’s rehabilitation centre. Sindi’s story is picked up again six weeks later when she is moved out of quarantine and into ‘baby school’: here she gets to know other orphaned babies and learns to socialise and play with them, climbing trees and tumbling on the ground with her new friends.
Karmele Llano Sanchez, IAR’s Spanish Veterinary Director in Indonesia, is filmed leading the mission to rescue Sindi and overseeing her treatment and care once she has been brought in to the emergency rescue centre. She says: “We are extremely grateful to journalist Olivia Mokiejewski for putting the spotlight on our work helping orangutans in West Kalimantan - and thus helping us to raise funds too. I do urge people to tune in and watch this excellent programme which highlights the plight of orangutans in Borneo. I hope too that viewers will want to support our determined efforts to protect and preserve them against the serious threats they face from deforestation and poaching for the illegal trade in wildlife.”
Since the film was made, Sindi has adapted extremely well to her new environment and is making rapid progress, both physically and mentally. She has developed an independent and adventurous streak and has no fear of climbing high up in the trees. She is a strong character, suited to the role of dominant female in the group of young orangutans, and is a very energetic and healthy animal.
Karmele adds: “Little Sindi is just one of more than 20 orangutans that we have rescued and are caring for in our small centre. She is likely to be with us for several years before she stands any chance of returning to a safe place in the wild. We rely entirely on the generosity of the public to fund our work, so I hope fervently viewers will be eager to support us once they have seen what we are doing to save the lives of orangutans like Sindi.”
International Animal Rescue is supported and assisted by the Indonesian Government and the Forestry Department in the rescue and rehabilitation of orangutans in West Kalimantan.