Historical Background of the OFI
Orangutan Foundation International
(OFI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wild
orangutans and their rainforest habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Founded in 1986 by scientist and conservationist Dr. Biruté Mary
Galdikas and her former doctoral student, Dr. Gary Shapiro, OFI focuses
on three objectives: research, conservation, and education. OFI also
disseminates information about the orangutan to galvanize policymakers
and the public toward an appreciation of orangutans and their highly
endangered status.
OFI is a member of the Orangutan
Conservation Forum, a consortium of groups working to counter the
primary threats to orangutan survival throughout Indonesia. The top
issues OFI works on with these partners include:
Forest Protection
Borneo’s Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP) is one of the few
remaining safe havens for orangutans. It is the only protected area in
Southeast Asia that conserves vast tracts of wetlands, tropical heath
forests, and swamp forests. To keep illegal loggers and miners from
degrading these areas, OFI funds patrols of TPNP, as well as other
protected forests. The patrols are comprised of local forest police or
“Jagawana” and OFI staff, representing a community-wide effort to
protect orangutan habitat.
OFI’s president was instrumental in
persuading the Indonesian government to establish Lamandau Nature
Reserve in 1998 from two expired logging concessions. Over 185,000
acres of tropical forest were protected as an area to reintroduce
orangutans.
Research
Dr. Galdikas began her research on wild orangutans in 1971 and
continues to study the behavior and ecology of wild and ex-captive
orangutans at historic Camp Leakey in Central Borneo. Named after the
legendary anthropologist, Dr. Louis Leakey, who was both a mentor and
an inspiration to Dr. Galdikas as well as Drs. Jane Goodall and Dian
Fossey, Camp Leakey has supported the research efforts of scientists
and students from Indonesia and abroad for more than 30 years. Run
primarily by Indonesian staff, Camp Leakey’s projects have included
studies on the behavior and ecology of the orangutan, proboscis monkey,
gibbon, and leaf-eating monkeys, as well as orangutan sign language
abilities and cognition, leech behavior, and riverine ecology.
OFI is also conducting research on
reforestation methods with long-term experimental plots. In addition,
its botanical nursery supplies various forest tree species that are
planted in degraded areas outside the national park. These reforested
areas expand the available habitat for orangutans and other rainforest
species.
Education
Working to instill pride in orangutans and their forest habitat, OFI
and its international chapters produce educational programs for
schools, deliver public lectures, organize conferences and seminars,
and produce radio programs that disseminate information about
orangutans, their plight, and how people can become involved in
conservation efforts. OFI and its UK chapter also offers two different
fellowships each year, providing grants for students to conduct studies
on orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Rehabilitation and Reintroduction
In late 1998, OFI completed the construction of the Orangutan Care
Center and Quarantine Facility (OCCQ) for orphaned orangutans needing
medical treatment and care in preparation for reintroduction into
suitable, protected habitats. The OCCQ is staffed by three full-time
veterinarians and is equipped with donated medical equipment and
supplies that allow the staff to provide an excellent level of care.
Orphans spend the day in the forest surrounding the OCCQ, learning the
skills necessary for reintroduction back into the wild when they are
six to eight years of age. Additionally, as of the end of 2002, OFI has
successfully reintroduced more than 25 orangutans into Lamandau Nature
Reserve, which OFI co-manages with an agency of the Indonesian Forest
Ministry.
World Awareness
Each November, OFI organizes a week-long Orangutan Awareness Week to
raise awareness about the rapid destruction of the tropical rainforest
in Indonesia and its effect on orangutans. OFI also offers exciting and
challenging volunteer programs several times each year in which
participants travel to Borneo to assist in creating physical
improvements in TPNP and the surrounding communities.
OFI’s headquarters are in Los Angeles. International chapters in
Indonesia, Australia, and the United Kingdom support the organization’s
mission. OFI has been influential in promoting significant orangutan
research and conservation efforts, international cooperation in
repatriating orangutans, and orangutan protection regulations abroad.
They have also protected the forests where wild orangutans live and
provide community development for local people in regions with
orangutan habitat. Through its field programs, OFI provides employment
for over 220 local Indonesians in the vicinity of Tanjung Puting
National Park and Lamandau Nature Reserve.
"Unless extreme action is taken soon," said
Dr. Galdikas, "these forests could be gone within the next five to 10
years, and wild orangutans along with them."
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