In loving memory of:
Makan
2003-2026
Sacramento Zoo
Makan
2003-2026
Sacramento Zoo
OSSP Awards Emergency Appeal Grants for Wildfire Relief & Support
Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program
"Fires are actively burning across West Kalimantan right now, and the team at Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program (GPOCP) are working around the clock to protect the habitat of thousands of critically endangered wild Bornean orangutans. More than 600 hectares of village forest and community land that GPOCP directly supports have burned so far, including fires still actively spreading through four of the Village Forests we support, Pemangkat, Nipah Kuning, and Pulau Kumbang, and a worsening fire in the Selinsing Raya Village Forest, where steep terrain and limited water access are making it especially difficult to contain. Fires we believed extinguished in community gardens bordering these forests have repeatedly flared back up in the heat and wind, particularly in Padu Banjar and Nipah Kuning. Urgently, another fire has now reached within meters of Gunung Palung National Park itself, the core protected habitat we have worked to safeguard for more than 30 years. An estimated 300 hectares inside the park have already been affected. Our teams are fighting this on every front: attempting water bombing in Sungai Paduan, building water reservoirs and drilled wells, blocking canals to slow the fire's spread, and working to secure more firefighting equipment. Orangutan SSP funds are helping us put more firefighters into the field, purchase hoses and protective equipment, establish desperately needed water sources, and help our teams hold the fire line before more forest is lost."
Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program
"Fires are actively burning across West Kalimantan right now, and the team at Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program (GPOCP) are working around the clock to protect the habitat of thousands of critically endangered wild Bornean orangutans. More than 600 hectares of village forest and community land that GPOCP directly supports have burned so far, including fires still actively spreading through four of the Village Forests we support, Pemangkat, Nipah Kuning, and Pulau Kumbang, and a worsening fire in the Selinsing Raya Village Forest, where steep terrain and limited water access are making it especially difficult to contain. Fires we believed extinguished in community gardens bordering these forests have repeatedly flared back up in the heat and wind, particularly in Padu Banjar and Nipah Kuning. Urgently, another fire has now reached within meters of Gunung Palung National Park itself, the core protected habitat we have worked to safeguard for more than 30 years. An estimated 300 hectares inside the park have already been affected. Our teams are fighting this on every front: attempting water bombing in Sungai Paduan, building water reservoirs and drilled wells, blocking canals to slow the fire's spread, and working to secure more firefighting equipment. Orangutan SSP funds are helping us put more firefighters into the field, purchase hoses and protective equipment, establish desperately needed water sources, and help our teams hold the fire line before more forest is lost."
CORE Borneo
"A major wildfire emergency is unfolding in the peat swamp forests surrounding the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Fires are now burning just 300 meters from the research station, threatening not only the facility itself, but also one of the world's most important long-term research sites for wild orangutans. If these fires continue to spread, they could devastate critical peatland habitat, destroy decades of scientific research, place both wildlife and local communities at risk, and release millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Fire crews from the Village of Pasir Putih, our entire research staff, and the dedicated Tuanan fire team are working side by side, day and night, to stop the flames before they reach the station and surrounding forest. For more than two decades (2003-present), the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station, run and co-directed by Universitas Nasional and Rutgers University through a partnership with the Protected Forest Management Unit (KPHL), has served as one of the world's important long-term field research sites for orangutans and tropical ecology in Southeast Asia. While best known for its study of wild Bornean orangutans, Tuanan is far more than a single-species research project. It is an irreplaceable living laboratory that supports research on tropical forest ecology, wildlife conservation, climate impacts, and ecosystem resilience. The current crisis evokes painful memories of the catastrophic fires that swept across Central Kalimantan in 2015 and again in 2019. In these years, we lost more than 160 hectares of forest in the study area (about 15%). Those fires burned vast areas of peatland forest, blanketed the region in hazardous smoke, destroyed wildlife habitat, and left lasting scars on the landscape. Recovery has been slow and difficult. Even years later, many areas continue to show the ecological consequences of those events. Every year, we have tried to prevent fires from returning to Tuanan. This year, we are being overpowered. Today, the same peatland ecosystem is once again under threat. Peat fires are particularly dangerous because they burn both above and below ground. Flames can travel unseen through dry peat, making them extremely difficult to extinguish and allowing fires to re-emerge long after they appear contained. Without rapid intervention, these fires can spread across large areas of forest, threatening humans, orangutans, other wildlife, nearby communities, and decades of conservation investment. Funding provided by Orangutan SSP will provide critical firefighting equipment, safety gear for our fire teams, and critical logistics for our teams. We are so grateful!"
"A major wildfire emergency is unfolding in the peat swamp forests surrounding the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Fires are now burning just 300 meters from the research station, threatening not only the facility itself, but also one of the world's most important long-term research sites for wild orangutans. If these fires continue to spread, they could devastate critical peatland habitat, destroy decades of scientific research, place both wildlife and local communities at risk, and release millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Fire crews from the Village of Pasir Putih, our entire research staff, and the dedicated Tuanan fire team are working side by side, day and night, to stop the flames before they reach the station and surrounding forest. For more than two decades (2003-present), the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station, run and co-directed by Universitas Nasional and Rutgers University through a partnership with the Protected Forest Management Unit (KPHL), has served as one of the world's important long-term field research sites for orangutans and tropical ecology in Southeast Asia. While best known for its study of wild Bornean orangutans, Tuanan is far more than a single-species research project. It is an irreplaceable living laboratory that supports research on tropical forest ecology, wildlife conservation, climate impacts, and ecosystem resilience. The current crisis evokes painful memories of the catastrophic fires that swept across Central Kalimantan in 2015 and again in 2019. In these years, we lost more than 160 hectares of forest in the study area (about 15%). Those fires burned vast areas of peatland forest, blanketed the region in hazardous smoke, destroyed wildlife habitat, and left lasting scars on the landscape. Recovery has been slow and difficult. Even years later, many areas continue to show the ecological consequences of those events. Every year, we have tried to prevent fires from returning to Tuanan. This year, we are being overpowered. Today, the same peatland ecosystem is once again under threat. Peat fires are particularly dangerous because they burn both above and below ground. Flames can travel unseen through dry peat, making them extremely difficult to extinguish and allowing fires to re-emerge long after they appear contained. Without rapid intervention, these fires can spread across large areas of forest, threatening humans, orangutans, other wildlife, nearby communities, and decades of conservation investment. Funding provided by Orangutan SSP will provide critical firefighting equipment, safety gear for our fire teams, and critical logistics for our teams. We are so grateful!"
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The Orangutan Species Survival Plan®
Formed in the 1980's, the Orangutan SSP is a group of dedicated professionals with five primary goals:
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Welfare of individuals, social groups and populations
Together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Orangutan SSP serves the accredited zoos that house orangutans in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Working closely with respected professionals in the field, the SSP provides help and guidance to zoos housing orangutans. Together, zoos and the SSP seek to provide the best possible environment for these amazing apes. 
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AZA members are committed to #orangutan conservation. Between 2019 and 2021, over $1.4 million was spent on orangutan #conservation focused on habitat restoration, rescue and rehabilitation, and education and outreach. #WeAreAZA #AZASAFE #SavingSpecies
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Orangutans in Zoos
Orangutans live in 50+ accredited zoos all across the United States, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Find out where they are and more about their exhibits here. 
Photo by Max Block
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Resources
This website serves as a central forum for important information for members of the SSP. Click here to enter the Member’s section and find out the latest happenings for and about the Orangutan Species Survival Plan. 
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