Orangutans are fascinating creatures that share 97% DNA of homo sapiens; you can find these Indonesian primates on the two islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Their habitat is shrinking at a rapid pace; in fact, scientists believe that over 80 per cent has been torn down for forest degradation, fragmentation and intentional clearing in the last two decades. Independent farmers are cutting down swathes of land to plant their crops, and vast palm oil plantations are literally replacing diverse rainforest at a terrifying rate of knots.
Orangutan is two Indonesian words that have been combined -‘orang’ means ‘person’ and ‘hutan’ means ‘forest’. So ‘orangutan’ means ‘person of the forest’. They spend 90 per cent of their time in the treetops, eating ripe fruit, young leaves and the occasional termite or vine. Adult females spend even more time in the canopy.
If all of this devastation is not enough; poachers are killing off mother orangutans for the illegal wildlife trade and ‘pets’. Orangutans have intensely close relationships between mother and baby. A baby will be carried around for the first five years and is continuously cared for until they reach eight years old. Mothers will sleep together in a nest until another baby is born. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are more orangutans in captivity in Taipei than there are in the wild. As with most wild animals, they become unmanageable and unruly when they are confined.
According to the Orangutan Conservancy; poachers are also killing orangutans for ‘bush-meat’. It appears that many of the Indonesian logging companies do not provide food for their workers. It, therefore, means that these workers resort to bush-meat, Small mammals and birds that the orangutans would otherwise eat.
Sumatra Cheeky Monkeys does not support any form of non-ethical tourism. They recommend that guests carry out their research and do not take part in any orangutan feeding; riding, swimming or bathing with elephants. Sarah, one of the founders, teaches English to local children twice a week. Guests are invited to the classes as well. They are fun and very interactive and offer guests the time to expose their inner child. It’s vital to teach school children about the pending doom of their heritage.
Guests are invited to purchase and plant a ‘Cheeky’ tree or two to help combat deforestation and suck deadly carbon from the atmosphere. A tree is a natural climate solution and provides a home for the beloved orangutans. Sumatra Cheeky Monkeys is passionate about making a difference and encouraging their guests to make a change. The Cheeky team donated 5% of their trekking profits to ‘Project Wings’, which supports their exciting projects that encompass reusing non-recyclable plastics, an eco-village, and animal and wildlife protection.