The opportunity to live in Indonesia and study orphaned orangutans was the trip of a lifetime for University of Queensland (UQ) student Kris Descovich.
As part of the Bachelor of Applied Science program offered at the University’s Gatton Campus and the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, Ms Descovich travelled to Indonesia to complete her study on the behaviour of orangutans during the rehabilitation process.
Orangutans are one of the most well known and loved species of primate and attract much public interest due to their intelligence and complex behaviour.
However, due to recent increases in deforestation of the Indonesian jungle, orangutans are facing increased rates of orphanage at an early age. Often, these orangutans are so young that they have not yet learned the survival skills from their parents that are necessary for them to survive in the wild.
With the increase in numbers of orphaned orangutans, rehabilitation centres in Indonesia are working on reintroduction techniques. As part of the rehabilitation process, young orang-utans are taken into the forest everyday to help develop the survival skills that will be necessary once they are released from the rehabilitation centre.
Whilst in Indonesia, Kris studied over 40 juvenile orangutans at a rehabilitation centre in Central Kalimantan. Her study included a six month investigation of a number of aspects of the rehabilitation process including observing behaviour of these pre-adolescent orangutans as they were introduced into a small area of forest under the guidance of their carers.
Through her investigation, Ms Descovich observed factors that influenced the behaviour exhibited by the orangutans upon forest interaction. Variables such as general health, weight, gender, the social group in which they were housed in the rehabilitation centre and the amount of time spent in rehabilitation had the greatest effect on the orangutan’s behaviour.
By determining which factors affect important behaviours necessary for survival, it is hoped that more orangutans will be successfully reintroduced into their natural habitat in Indonesian forests.
“We need to ensure that each orangutan is provided with the correct education and possesses the physical attributes required to be reintroduced to the wild if we are to see this species survive the effects of deforestation” Ms Descovich said.
Ms Descovich, who also works for the Australian Orangutan Project, is now focusing on developing techniques that will optimize the chances of successful reintroduction.
Media inquiries: Susanne Schick - UQ Gatton Campus (5460 1229, 0409 265 587).
