Courageous Lone Droscher Nielsen the heroine
Dear friends around the world,
There are many professions that I admire and there are many people working in important jobs which are more vital and important to humankind than they are given credit for. One of the most important vocations are those that saves lives, where people go out of their way to protect, provide for, preserve and ensure the continuation of life.
Lone Droscher Nielsen
This is why when I come across moving and inspiring stories such as this, I get very excited to share it because such people are rare and must be congratulated and celebrated and very well-supported. One such person is Lone Droscher Nielsen who, in this instance, has saved a baby orangutan from a hunter’s home.
As some of you may know, orangutans are primates and very closely related to human beings. Like humans, they are capable of experiencing a full range of human emotions such as pain, love, loneliness, happiness, wanting shelter and many more.
Unfortunately however, orangutans are considered a critically endangered species and their habitat is under constant threat from deforestation by loggers and plantation owners. So conservation efforts to protect their numbers are extremely important. Lone Droscher Nielsen is a Danish wildlife conservationist who together with her partner, Willie Smits, established the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Kalimantan, Indonesia. She has gone out of her way to create a natural habitat for the orangutans to live.
Not only that but she also trains and teaches them how to fend for themselves. After they graduate, they are safely homed in her sanctuary. Her ultimate goal however, is for them to be released back into the wild.
To her, it is not just important that orangutans are protected but that they live in an environment which is good and natural for them. She even learned the Indonesian language so she can communicate effectively with the locals, all for the sake of the orangutans. Something like this can only arise out of compassion because it is a labour of love and kindness. There are no rewards and for certain, the animals she saves will never be able to thank her. In addition, it is a lifelong commitment because it is a promise to care for these orangutans forever. Anyone who has raised a family will understand what it takes to keep it going physically, emotionally, financially and so on.
Always be kind to everyone. Please enjoy this story and at the same time appreciate and support Ms Lone in her compassionate endeavour.
Tsem Rinpoche
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/BabyOrangutanNielsen.mp4
About Nyaru Menteng
The Central Kalimantan Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Nyaru Menteng was established in 1999, specifically to provide care and rehabilitation to displaced or orphaned orangutans rescued from areas of habitat loss through human development activities.
Located in Nyaru Menteng Arboretum, about 30 kilometres from downtown Palangka Raya, the main activities at Nyaru Menteng include orangutan rescue and translocation, the provision of welfare and healthcare, rehabilitation, and reintroduction. Conservation of habitat and wildlife can only be achieved by working together with local communities and other stakeholders, hence in all areas of their work, they fully engage with local communities and schools on community development activities and outreach conservation education. Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS Foundation) has rescued over 1200 orangutans in Central Kalimantan and currently care for and support almost 450 orangutans at Nyaru Menteng.
Orangutan Rescue and Translocation
Orangutans that have been displaced from areas of natural habitat due to human development activities causing widespread habitat loss, are often forced to range long distances in search of food. Often they wander into oil palm plantations or community gardens as they simply have no other alternative. Together with the Central Kalimantan Conservation and Natural Resources Authority (BKSDA), they rescue orangutans from these situations and if the orangutans are healthy, they can immediately be released to areas of safe, secure natural habitat. This practice is commonly known as translocation. In situations where some orangutans have suffered injury or illness, dedicated healthcare is provided to ensure their recovery for future translocation or later reintroduction.
Orangutan Rehabilitation and Reintroduction
The BOS Foundation currently manages two reintroduction programs; Nyaru Menteng in Central Kalimantan and Samboja Lestari in East Kalimantan. Both of these programs focus on rehabilitation and reintroduction activities in line with national and international (IUCN) guidelines and criteria. When an infant orangutan is taken away from its mother, he or she loses a whole lifetime of early learning. Therefore, the purpose of rehabilitation is to equip orphaned orangutans with the skills they need to survive once they are old enough to be reintroduced to the forest.
Rehabilitation Programme
- Healthcare and Quarantine
Each orangutan arriving at one of their reintroduction programs goes through routine quarantine procedures and health checks (physical and psychological). This is very important as many rescued orangutans have been exposed to human diseases which they would not normally encounter in the wild.
- Rehabilitation
The majority of the orangutans who enter their facilities are still very young, so in need of orangutan-peer interaction and daily lessons on forest survival. During rehabilitation, orangutans are taught and encouraged to build nests, select appropriate natural foods and recognise natural predators. This process starts in ‘Baby School’ and progresses through different levels of ‘Forest School’, where each day is spent in the forest learning new skills. Skills acquired by each individual are assessed before moving them up through the levels. Orangutans then progress to one of the pre-release islands, which is a halfway forest for the final stage of rehabilitation. Dependent on the age and existing skills each orangutan has, rehabilitation can take up to 7 years.
- Long-term Sanctuary
Sadly, some of the orangutans can never be returned to the wild due to illness or injury. The dedicated team continues to provide welfare and healthcare to these individuals, which they will need for the rest of their lives.
Contact them
The location of Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) Nyaru Menteng.
Click on image to enlarge.
Address: Jalan Kumbang No. 31 Bogor 16128, West Java, Indonesia
Email: bos_communication@orangutan.or.id
Phone: +62 251 831 4468 / +62 251 831 4469
Donations can be made to the sanctuary via PayPal. For more details, visit: https://support.orangutan.or.id/donations
For more interesting information:
- Global celebrity Mr. Yao Ming save lives!
- Jinjing The Penguin – Swims 5,000 Miles Every Year To Visit The Man Who Saved Him
- The Animals, Vegetarianism & Environment category on my blog
- Animals Show Love for Humans
- A touching hug
- It will break your heart, but you need to see this
- Whale Saves Woman from Shark!
- Compassionate action and touching
- California did the right thing!
- Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown
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I admire those professions who work for humankind very much too. They live their life in doing what really important to the world, it is something truth to themselves either. They saves lives, protect rights, provide what is needed by others, preserve the natures. I feel so move when Rinpoche says these people ensure the continuation of life. Yes, humankind is inexhaustible power to supply all the beings on the earth.
Such people are rare, it takes courageous and integrity to job which important for humankind. Lone Droscher Nielsen has saved a baby orangutan from a hunter’s home. She then established the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Indonesia to create a natural habitat for the orangutans to live. It can never be easy because this also mean she has a lifelong commitment now, she promise to care for these orangutans forever.
It has to start from somewhere else, and the intention will grow stronger along the path, the right person will come to join your mission. Lone Droscher Nielsen has inspires many of us. Thank you for this wonderful story!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this very inspiring story with us. Ms. Lone is from Netherland and she was a flight attendant before becoming a Orangutans rescuer. She had a very comfortabe life and live in a very comfortable environment. But she was willing to give up her comfort to spend her life helping Orangutans in a place that is not so modern.
Not many people will sacrifice their comfortable lives for other people, let alone animals. Like what Rinpoche has mentioned, this is real compassion. One can see that Ms Lone is a happy person, her happiness comes from relieving others from sufferings.
If we cannot do as much as Ms Lone, we can start from little thing. For example, considering volunteering our time in a non-profit organisation. Put the volunteering work as the priority, give up our little comfort or enjoyment such as watching a movie or having a drinks with our friends or families. This is how we may slowly develop our compassion.
This lady is doing such a precious work. It is sad that the habitat of so many animals is destroyed and animals are killed without mercy. Lone Droscher Nielsen is a true heroine and she is so important for helping those babies who sadly have lost their mother, family and their home.
Dear Rinpoche,
I remember I watched a few episodes of this on Astro channel lately and yes, I concur with what Rinpoche has mentioned, that Ms.Lone Droscher Nielsen is a very courageous lady. She rescued, taking care and rehabilitated these orang utan with great care & love and this can only arise from having a great compassion. It’s through her lifelong commitment that we are able to witness these orang utans being saved, cared for and nurtured back to the wild.
Together with her is a group of dedicated people who more or less having the same passion as hers. I really really do wish her great success in this .
Inspiring Danish lady Droscher Nielsen wildlife conservationist who established the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. Well respected saviour of orang-utans ,founded the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary which is the world’s largest orangutan rehabilitation centre. It is the home to about 600 Orangutans being prepared for release back to the wild rainforests. She has done a marvellous job in training and teaches them how to feed for themselves before releasing them back . The orang-utans who are wild extant species of great apes native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Known for their distinctive red fur, orangutans are the largest arboreal mammal, spending most of their time in trees. Having long, powerful arms and grasping hands and feet allow them to move through the branches.
Thumbs up to Lone Droscher Nielsen and the dedicated team who continues to provide welfare and healthcare to the orang-utans. Orangutans are currently only found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. If nothing is done , sooner or later it will be extinct .
Thank you Rinpoche for this inspiring post.
Thank you very much for the team that put their effort and time to rescue and rehabilitation. It’s heart-warming to see the Orang Utan being taken care with such details and love. Indeed, they can feel pretty much like us so we have to be extra careful when interacting or dealing with them.
One of the programs which they equip orphaned orangutans with the skills they need to survive once they are old enough to be reintroduced to the forest. This is one of the most important things to help the Orang Utan survive.
Thanks again to the compassionate team that tirelessly looking after the Orang Utan.