Charlotte makes a home among the trees after being released back into the wild – credit, the Orangutan Project
A female orangutan that was captured as a juvenile has been released back into the wild after four years of “jungle school.”
Found chained to the rafters of a wooden cabin on the Indonesian side of the island of Borneo, Charlotte was destined for a miserable life in captivity.
But the Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance (BORA), in collaboration with the forestry and environment ministry of Indonesia, rescued her from the cabin and transferred her into a rehabilitation center run by a member of BORA called the Orangutan Project.
Aptly-named the “Jungle School,” the OP’s facility provides a vital refuge to poached orangutans.
When they are separated from their habitat and/or social group, most wild animals lose out on the most important educational periods. Wild cats will learn from their mothers how to hunt prey to use just one example, and orangutans learn from their family how to do any number of things, like build nests, use tools, and behave oneself within the social hierarchy.
“Orangutans have one of the longest childhoods of any species on earth,” explained the OP in a blog post about Charlotte’s arrival in Jungle School.
“Babies are born knowing nothing; they learn everything from their mothers: what to eat, how to avoid predators, how to make nests for safe sleeping, even how to climb and swing through the trees. Their learning is complex and deep, and nothing can fully replace the bond between mother and baby.”
The blog post is a difficult read for those sensitive to stories of cruelty to animals. Charlotte, however, went from a terrified orphan to a joyful, courageous orangutan.
That occurred through the dedicated work of the OP’s carers at Jungle School, who despite being very much a member of Homo sapiens, show the orphaned orangutans how to climb trees, forage for termites, build nests, and everything else Charlotte’s mom would have shown her.
Charlotte the orangutan on the day she was rescued – credit, supplied the Orangutan Project
Charlotte with her carer, the first human she came to trust – credit, supplied the Orangutan Project
The moment Charlotte returned the wild – credit, supplied the Orangutan Project
This went on between 2021 and 2025, when, having grown up and practiced her skills on a forested island free of predators, Charlotte was released into the Busang Ecosystem in East Borneo.
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“Our team is confident that Charlotte will thrive in her new home, and settle into her wild life with ease,” write OP in another blog post.
“Her forest skills are excellent, and have only grown stronger during her time on the pre-release island. There’s even a good chance she may cross paths with some of her old Jungle School friends, like Mary, Jojo, Bonti, and Popi, who was also recently released into the same area.”
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