Cutest little “monkeys”….errr….I mean orangutans!!!!!!

I have three nieces: Heather, Hannah and Heidi. From the day that they were born, I called them “my little monkeys”. I still call them that because all though they are fully grown, they are as cute as can be. Well, the faces that you will see here are as cute as they get. No, they are NOT monkeys. Instead they will someday grow up to be Great Apes THANKS to the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Program’s quarantine centre.  This little face was one that was rescued and brought to the Care Centre just the other night (in my last post). She, and the other two babies are being cared for by loving and competent staff. I spent the entire day with not only these three infants, but at least 40 other young orangutans. The Care Centre currently has 52 orangutans total – it is absolutely amazing. It is an orangutan lovers’ heaven! I am so impressed with this staff. They were hard at work playing with the babies, feeding them and making sure that they had the necessary stimulation for healthy progress. The staff veterinarian was keeping a close eye on the newest additions – all day.

The baby below is another one of the three that was just rescued the other night.

This was such an amazing and fun day.  I am impressed with how clean they keep everything – and with the toys and fun apparatus everywhere.

Today I used my camera as a means to take identification photos to help the scientists – but tomorrow I am going back in hopes of having fun with all of these precious “little monkeys”!!!!

Update on the fires: there are currently no fires burning here in the north. The fires are still smouldering further south. Borneo is still burning – one of the biologists just returned from Borneo. He was there helping to put out the fires. On Friday they have arranged to take me to a location in the national park that has been recently logged and burned – illegally.  The national parks are “supposed” to be protected. I plan to fly my drone there to take aerial photos of this newly encroached area taken over by a palm oil plantation. This should be fun – and a little risky! Stay tuned!

~ Jami Tarris