Australian Enrichment Team Trips

Volunteering in Borneo

Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Australia has teamed up with ENRICH, an Australian volunteer program that focuses on animal welfare and enrichment. You now have the amazing opportunity to volunteer with orangutans and sun bears in Borneo at the Samboja Lestari centre where more than 200 orangutans and 52 Malayan sunbears have found shelter from human destruction and neglect.

Without BOS, they would surely have been killed or sold into the illegal pet trade.  Looking after so many orangutans and sun bears and preparing them for life back in the forests is a very costly operation and so we need your help. By contributing your time and money to this project, you will enhance the lives of orangutans and sunbears through enrichment activities, in preparing them for life back in the wild, and helping in the reforestation of previously logged lands.

About the Volunteer Expedition

Samboja Lestari (Samboja Forever) is a project that was started by BOS’ founder, Willie Smits, and is located in the Indonesian state of Kalimantan, on the world’s third largest island, Borneo. To read more about Samboja Lestari click here or watch founder Willie Smits on TED talks.

As a volunteer you will be part of a project team working together on the ground to improve captive conditions for the orang-utan and sun bears as they wait for a chance to be released back into the wild.

You will be based at the special and luxurious Ecolodge at the project itself.  During this time you will be involved in many activities designed to improve the orangutans’ and sun bears lives.  As the ultimate goal is to release the orangutans, we must ensure that they do not get used to humans and do not catch a communicable disease. This means that the activities will involve no touching or cuddling of orangutans – not very good for the orangutans.

Why do we need volunteers?

As part of a dedicated team of volunteers, you are needed to further the enrichment of the animals to improve their quality of life, building and maintenance work on enclosures and infrastructures and tree replanting.

Your trip to Borneo and your participation in the volunteer expedition can now directly help BOS progress the rehabilitation and release of the resident orangutans and sun bears. Places are limited so please enquire now before it’s too late.