Temara is the first zoo-born and raised
orangutan to be released into the wild.


Safe in her crate, Temara boards a Qantas flight
destined for her new home in Indonesia.

Who'd have thought Rio Tinto could lay claim to a relationship with an orangutan? Well…it's true. Her name is Temara and she was born at the Perth Zoo in 1992.

While her accommodation in South Perth for the past 14 years has been opulent in orangutan terms, it's true to say there really is no place like home - and Temara's real home is her natural habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia.

So, with the assistance of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, two Perth Zoo staff members flew to Indonesia in December 2006 to set Temara free into the jungle of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.

In a world first, Temara was released into the protected park as part of an established orangutan reintroduction project.

Run by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), the project aims to re-establish a population of this critically endangered species in the wild.

With the support of the Indonesian Government, the SOCP has released more than 50 former pet trade or orphaned orangutans into Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.

Temara's release is a valuable opportunity to increase the numbers and genetic diversity of the orangutan population in the national park, which covers around 144,000 hectares and is guarded by specially trained anti-poaching and anti-logging Orangutan Protection Units.

Perth Zoo Curator of Exotic Mammals Leif Cocks and Head Orangutan Keeper Kylie Bullo worked with the SOCP over several months to monitor Temara's adjustment to jungle life. Long-term tracking has been left to SOCP staff.

Temara is now spending much of her time in her new home contently sitting high in the treetops overlooking the jungle and communicating with other orangutans from a distance.

She has adapted quickly too - climbing trees, foraging for fruit and building nests for her sleeping quarters.

Temara's progress is being recorded in detail, providing vital information on the adaptation of zoo-born orangutans to their natural environment.

Advisor Community Investment Laurie Ball says RTIO is keenly following Temara's progress. "We've been supporting the Perth Zoo for seven years now and it's great to see a world first project such as Temara's release take place," says Laurie.

In preparation for her release and to mimic rainforest feeding patterns, Temara's keepers introduced a gradual diet change including a wider variety of leaves and Indonesian fruits.

Temara was also given extra vegetation to construct sleeping nests, along with access to her very own 30 metre high fig tree to practice climbing and nest-making and to improve her fitness and strength.

Protecting an endangered species

Having left Perth Zoo, Temara is now well and
truly at home in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.

The current Sumatran orangutan population is less than 7 per cent of the population in 1900 with an estimated 7,300 left in the wild. They are the slowest reproducing species in the world with females having their first infant at 15 years and every nine years thereafter.

The return of Temara to her natural environment is a landmark initiative involving the Indonesian Government, the Western Australian Government, Perth Zoo, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Australian Orangutan Project.

Perth Zoo has established one of the most successful breeding colonies of Sumatran orangutans in the world. Since 1970, 25 orangutans have been born there. Perth Zoo has the capacity to breed orangutans for release into the wild on an ongoing basis pending the outcome of Temara's release.