SWEET MERYL GOES HOME
Another beloved orangutan from our adoption program is ready to enjoy true freedom in the Bornean rainforest.
We are incredibly proud of Meryl and so thankful to her adopters who supported her during her nine-year rehabilitation journey to the wild.
In early January 2015, our Nyaru Menteng rescue team rushed to Tumbang Jiga village – located in the remote regions of Katingan Regency in Central Kalimantan – after receiving a report that a baby orangutan was being held captive.
In the village, the residents showed the team a tiny infant placed in a lanjung, a traditional Dayak bag made of plaited rattan, usually used for carrying crops or firewood. The bag was so small that the little female could barely move inside.
Our veterinarian carefully lifted her out of the basket and could immediately tell she was suffering from a high fever. The team quickly confiscated the baby and transported her to Nyaru Menteng for medical treatment.
When Meryl arrived at our Nyaru Menteng Centre, she was just eight months old, having spent six months in captivity. She was in deplorable condition, frail and thin, with swollen hands. We named her Meryl, after the veterinarian who had lovingly taken care of her from the day we rescued her. And look at her now!
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- Our team found Meryl, tiny and weak, curled up in a basket.
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- Today, Meryl is ready to live a free life as a wild orangutan.
Over time, Meryl transformed into a lively orangutan, brimming with energy and vitality. She thrived in Forest School, mastering all the survival skills needed for the wild.
In December 2021, Meryl advanced to the pre-release stage, demonstrating that she was ready for the last step on her rehabilitation journey: a life in freedom.
Very soon, the BOS team will open Meryl’s transport cage in a protected forest of the Bukit Baja Bukit Raja National Park, and the 10-year-old female’s life will have finally come full circle—Meryl will be back where she belongs, in the Bornean rainforest.
