Orangutan Surrogacy Program Gives Hope to Vulnerable Babies in Borneo
Monday 8 December, 2025 – Due to the alarming rate of deforestation and illegal pet trading, the orangutan population in Borneo has been facing a devastating decline. Injured, orphaned, and traumatized, many of these vulnerable creatures arrive at rescue centers with little hope of survival. However, a surrogacy program run by the Yayasan Inisiatif Alam Raya Indonesia (YIARI), a partner of Sussex-based International Animal Rescue (IAR), is changing the lives of these baby orangutans by giving them the love and care they need to thrive.
The rehabilitation center in West Borneo, supported by IAR, has successfully rescued and released 267 orangutans, with 131 now living freely in the wild. However, for the youngest infants who have lost their mothers, there is little chance of survival without a mother figure to teach them the skills they need to survive in the forest. This is where the surrogacy program comes in.
Through this program, rescued female orangutans are given a second chance at life by acting as surrogate mothers to orphaned infants. These mothers provide the warmth, protection, and skills necessary for the infants to thrive and eventually return to the wild. Currently, YIARI has eight surrogate orangutan mother/infant pairs, with five of them already released and living freely in the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park.
According to Alan Knight OBE, President of IAR, “This program is absolutely transformational. It gives orangutan babies a mother again and with her, a future.” One of the success stories of this program is Muria, a surrogate orangutan who spent the first 11 months of her life chained and locked in a tiny cage. Muria was released with her surrogate mother, Zoya, in 2019 and has since thrived in the wild. Three years later, Muria was found with her own wild-born baby, Bumi, proving that love and care can heal even the deepest of wounds.
“Muria and Zoya have stolen the hearts of everyone working at YIARI, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings with their new wild-born baby,” said Knight.
However, the success of this program relies heavily on funding. IAR needs to raise £90,000 to cover the costs of rehabilitation, release to the wild, and post-release monitoring. This Christmas, you can make a difference in the lives of these orangutans by donating to their cause. Every donation counts towards their journey to freedom.
To donate, please visit https://bit.ly/OrangutanChristmasAppeal.
Together, we can help these orangutans find their freedom and give them a second chance at life.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.