Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme

A Journey Back to the Wild: From rescue and care to rehabilitation and release, every step matters.

When an orangutan is found in a situation where it cannot safely remain in the wild, SOCP teams work to respond and bring them to safety.

Some arrive injured or in poor condition. Some are still very young and need intensive care. At the SOCP Orangutan Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre in Sibolangit, North Sumatra, they receive medical attention, and daily care from veterinary and keeper teams. For baby orangutans, the first stages of care are especially important.

Behind every rescue is a team working to bring an orangutan to safety—and begin the journey back to the wild.

One of the youngest orangutans currently at the quarantine centre is Seguza, who arrived in February 2026 when he was less than one year old. At such a young age, Seguza was still highly vulnerable. He required constant attention from the keeper, spending much of his time being safely carried and cared for as he received the support he needed to grow stronger.Ideally, at this stage of his life, Seguza would still be with his mother—being cared for, learning, and growing under his mother care. When that is no longer possible, the care team takes on an important role in supporting him through these critical early stages of life. 

 Seguza first arrived at the  SOCP's Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre -SOCP Sibolangit

Our veterinary and keeper teams work every day to care for Seguza and provide the support he needs to grow stronger. As he grows, his journey will gradually move beyond care and toward rehabilitation. He will need to learn how to climb, find food, move through his surroundings, and develop the behaviours he will need to survive independently in the wild.

For over 25 years, SOCP Sibolangit has been the first safe haven for orangutans rescued from the illegal pet trade and human–wildlife conflict. Since 2001, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) has helped more than 500 orangutans through rescue, rehabilitation, reintroduction, and translocation, supporting their journey toward a life in the wild and a better future.

A long journey of care and rehabilitation leads to one important moment: returning to the forest.

Today, 34 orangutans remain at Sibolangit, each with their own chance at a wild future. Beyond rescue, SOCP also runs research stations, forest patrols, and community outreach to ensure orangutans have safe forests to return to.

Protecting orangutan habitat is part of the journey back to the wild.

This Giving Day for Apes, your support can help make their journey back to the wild possible. Your support helps orangutans like Seguza and others in our care receive the care, rehabilitation, and support they need as they grow and prepare for life in the wild.

Support Their Journey Back to the Wild