The Orangutan Project also known as The Australian Orangutan Project is a non-profit registered Australian environmental organization established in 1998 by Leif Cocks. The organization focuses on the conservation of

orangutans Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ' ...

and the preservation and rehabilitation of their forest habitats, primarily in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It runs its own projects in partnership with local organizations and supports other organizations working in the field. It is a project of

Wildlife Conservation International The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a global 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization, headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, with a mission to save "wildlife and wild places across the globe". Founded in 1895 as the New York Zo� ...

(WCI), a non-profit registered

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

environmental organization with affiliates and chapters in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

, EU and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Funding

The organization receives funding through public donations, community events, membership fees, orphan orangutan 'adoptions', and grants. As of 30 June 2024, providing funding over AUD $5,603,175 (USD $3,667,558) to wildlife conservation. In 2005, WCI received over $62,000 from the Australian Government's Regional Natural Heritage Program (RNHP) to develop and implement orangutan protection units in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park region in

Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...

and to monitor and deter

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...

. In 2006, the organization secured an additional $92,000 from the RNHP to extend the protection efforts to include other species such as the Sumatran elephant and tiger. TOP also received A$207,500 for wildlife surveys in Borneo's forests, including the Ulu Segama reserve, to establish wildlife baseline data and develop a Forest Management Plan focusing on orangutan populations. Since its inception, The Orangutan Project has contributed over USD 25 million (≈AUD 37 million) to orangutan conservation projects across Borneo and Sumatra.

Leadership

The Orangutan Project was founded by Leif Cocks, who also serves as the organization's current CEO. Leif has been involved in orangutan conservation for over 30 years and has contributed to various projects related to the protection of orangutans and their habitats. He holds a

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

from

Curtin University Curtin University (previously Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology) is an Australian public university, public research university based in Bentley, Western Australia, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, for research on the welfare of orangutans and in 2020, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his outstanding contributions to orangutan conservation. . Leif has published several papers in peer review journals and books on the subject, including "Orangutans and their Battle for Survival" and an autobiography titled "Orangutans, My Cousins, My Friends, and 'Finding Our Humanity'".

Organizational structure

The Orangutan Project operates as a conservation organization supporting projects across

and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. It addresses issues facing fragmented orangutan populations, including rescue, rehabilitation, and release programs, as well as forest habitat protection, regeneration, education, research, and local community partnerships. In 2017, the organization transitioned structurally, leading to the establishment of

Limited, which oversees The Orangutan Project and its related projects, including the International Elephant Project, Forests for People and the International Tiger Project.

Partnerships

The Orangutan Project collaborates with several regional alliances and organizations focused on orangutan conservation, such as the Sumatran Rescue Alliance and the Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance. Its partners include the Centre for Orangutan Protection, Borneo Nature Foundation,

Frankfurt Zoological Society The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is an international conservation organization founded in 1858 with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. FZS focuses on maintaining biodiversity and conserving wildlife and ecosystems in protected area ...

, Orangutan Foundation UK, Orangutan Information Centre, and Orang Utan Republik Foundation.

References

External links