Another serious threat comes from the international demand for exotic pets. A baby orangutan can easily fetch MYR$60,000 on the black market. This prize represents the fortune of a lifetime for the typical villager in rural Borneo. To compound the problem, baby orangutans cling to their mother until they are strong enough to climb throughout the forest canopy on their own. The easiest way to capture a baby orangutan is to shoot the mother. Because of this, for every orangutan sold into the pet trade, two are taken from their natural habitat.

What Semenggoh is doing to help orangutans

The first orangutan brought to Semenggoh Nature Reserve was named Bullet, because when he arrived, he had a bullet lodged in his scull from a hunter. Unfortunately the vets at the reserve were not able to save Bullet from his injury, but thankfully the reserve has been able to help scores of threatened orangutans since. Semenggoh Nature Reserve provides about 1,000 acres of natural jungle habitat for their population of 30 orangutan. Many of the reserve's orangutan have been rescued from other areas of Borneo, but more babies are being born into the group each season.

Orangutans Semenggoh Nature Reserve, Borneo

The government-run nature preserve is currently home to three adult male orangutan. Each of these large males requires 800 square acres of jungle in order to survive. Because of the vast area that adult orangutan require, it is impossible to keep the orangutan population within the protection of the reserve. For this reason, Semenggoh Nature Reserve is actively involved in outreach programs with the surrounding communities. The local people have come to understand the value of the orangutan, and value the wealth and opportunity that tourism provides. Locals commonly assist the reserve with tracking and managing the orangutan population around Semenggoh.

There are a few national parks surrounding Semenggoh where orangutan populations are also protected. Unfortunately there is no direct link-way between protected areas, so the reserve works with local land owners to arrange safe corridors where the orangutan can safely pass between these government sanctuaries.