Reconstruction of the Orangutan Sanctuary on Sumatra

At the end of 2024, devastating landslides hit the PanEco Foundation's orangutan sanctuary and care center on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The landslides were triggered by heavy rainfall and caused significant damage to several enclosures as well as the veterinary clinic. Reconstruction are expected to take a considerable amount of time.

The PanEco Foundation has been committed to nature and species conservation and environmental education in both Switzerland and Indonesia since 1996. It operates three programs: in Sumatra, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program in Indonesia, and in Switzerland, the Thurauen Nature Center and the Berg am Irchel Bird of Prey Sanctuary.

The Orangutan Conservation Program aims to achieve stable, well-networked orangutan populations as well as intact rainforest ecosystems over the long term on Sumatra. The PanEco Foundation is active in the following areas:

• Rehabilitation and reintroduction of orangutans
• Behavioral research and monitoring of orangutans
• Combating illegal wildlife trade
• Rainforest conservation in various ecosystems
• Environmental education in Indonesia and Switzerland

 

Due to the steady loss of their natural habitat, orangutans are finding their way into plantations and gardens, where they come into conflict with humans. They are also kept illegally as pets and can end up being traded in illicit wildlife trafficking.

Since 1998, PanEco has operated a rescue and care center for orangutans that the local authorities have handed over to it. At the center, they are nursed back to health and later resettled in protected areas.

At the end of 2024, prolonged rains on Sumatra led to several landslides that severely affected PanEco's rescue and care center, covering large parts of the site in mud and debris. Many of the enclosures and the veterinary clinic were destroyed by the mud. The team remained unharmed, but two of the 41 orangutans did not survive the mudslide.

The first step was to ensure basic daily care and rehabilitation for the animals while clearing the debris. Although the immediate measures did stabilize the situation, the restoration process will still take considerable time and effort. The clinic, enclosures, and other damaged facilities must all be rebuilt; however, any reconstruction must begin with an evaluation whether the site is still viable at all, given the natural hazards it is subject to.

The Vontobel Foundation is contributing to the funding of the evaluation and subsequent reconstruction to ensure the long-term viability of the rescue and care center.