Friends of the Orangutans • 27 Jan 2020
Our report ‘Welfare concerns: an analysis of orangutan management at Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island’ raises concerns about the management of the critically endangered Bornean orangutan species at the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island, a captive orangutan facility managed by the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation (BMOUIF) near the city of Taiping, Perak.
Download the full report here (PDF): Welfare concerns: an analysis of orangutan management at Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island
We have analysed the following issues in the report:
· orangutan births and orangutan mortality at the facility
· orangutans unaccounted for
· interbirth intervals and infant separation
· orangutan rehabilitation
· disease management
· husbandry and welfare concerns
· three scientific research articles authored by BMOUIF’s chief executive officer and veterinary surgeon.
The sources of the information in this report include the 2018 International Studbook of the Orangutan, published in 2019; a 2018 research article entitled ‘Behavioral studies and veterinary management of orangutans at Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island, Perak, Malaysia’; the book entitled The Orangutans of Bukit Merah, published by the BMOUIF; and personal communications with the BMOUIF and orangutan conservationists.
A copy of our report was sent to the BMOUIF in September 2020. The Foundation received the report but is yet to confirm if recommendations made in the report will be adopted.