Orangutans, Bukit Lawang, Sumatra Indonesia

To Save the Orangutan...

You must help the people to save the Orangutans.
I've been learning about the complexity of the idea of saving the Orangutans. Gunung Leuser National Park is a large section of rain forest in Sumatra that has been preserved with financing of the European Union and prohibition of cutting in the preserve by the Indonesian government. This is a favorable outcome for the future of the rain forest but the people in the region of this park live in extreme poverty with no real means of support, education, and economic development.

The land is extremely rich in natural and mineral resources but these resources are blocked from use. There needs to be a way to transition the people of the region into a more stable sustainable business and lifestyle where their interests are aligned with the preservation of the rain forest and its animals that doesn't result in their living in poverty. If their economic sucess is not a part of the program to save the rain forest the illegal cutting and poaching will continue to occur from desperation.
How can we change this?

The area around Takengon where the people grow coffee is not as poor as the area around the park. Production of Organic Fair Trade coffee does much to help the farmers. Of course this is all relative because the villages where the farmers have their coffee gardens have little to no electricity, sanitation, education...etc. Everyone here is poor compared to what we know in the US.

Bukit Lawang and the Orangutans

Our next stop was in Bukit Lawang a preserve of the Gunung Leuser National Park (spelling?)
A 3 hour trip from Medan, and a popular weekend holiday place with the locals and tourists, we arrived late at night to crowded hotels and Karaoke parties. Needless to say we ended up in the Eco-Lodge. Okay it wasn't that bad, in fact the mandi, Indonesia bath, a bucket of cold water and a ladle was great, especially after the drive and the heat. We would have periods of spontaneous sweating.
This was the place to see the half wild orangutans. we were lucky, we saw two wild males and one half wild pregnant female. There is nothing that can describe this experience. It was unreal, scary, and magnificent.

This wild male was around 35 years old and hanging around Sandra a young female. He was a little upset when they wouldn't give him more bananas. He decided to come and get them himself. oh no!