52 Weeks of Impact

Photo Credit: Smulan77

Ugo Blanco was born on February 12, 2007, in Bukit Lawang, on Indonesia’s Northern island of Sumatra, a popular tourist destination known for its easy-going pace and jungle treks. Tragically, Ugo’s mother, Fifri, died while giving birth, leaving Ugo without known family. Luckily, he was found and moved to the Batu Mbelin Centre where he has since been raised. But the center is one of many of its kind that need support. After being alerted to this problem by writer and friend, Prue Batten, Nils and I decided to adopt Ugo.

When Prue wrote me about her adoption of “her” Wallis and sent me to the AOP website, my reaction was much the same as hers, “… For me the look in the eyes of the babies who had lost their mothers was the key. Orangutans’ eyes (like elephants and dolphins) are tremendously wise and knowing, as if they can see into the future, the past and all things in between. There was also the way the babies hung on to each other and to human carers, as if to say, this is what matters: love, care and respect. It wasn’t even a question for me.  I was ready to adopt.”

It is said that orangutans are 97% genetically identical to humans. You can, indeed, see their intellect and a certain wisdom in their eyes. If you’re an animal lover, you’ll be hard-pressed to go to their adoption page and not fall in love with one of the infants.

Why we chose Ugo

"Ugo Blanco Westphal" (credit: AOP)

Nils and I independently viewed the AOP’s adoption page and both chose Ugo. As silly as it may sound, I looked into those eyes and they said, “Love me, please.” How could I refuse? On top, Ugo’s clearly full of mischief and is “independent-minded.” We’re convinced he’s a smart little fellow who, when hopefully released when a safe environment is assured, will be able to fend for himself just fine.

It’s not only Ugo who suffers

In Ugo’s case, the death of his mom was seemingly “natural”, but not so for many orangutans. “Palm oil orphans”, those whose habitats have been destroyed or parents killed because of the continually growing palm oil industry in Indonesia, are quite common. Those orangutans “lucky” enough to survive the destruction of their habitat must fend somehow and have been known to wander into human settlements or palm oil plantations (sometimes where their homes were previously located) in search of food. There are frighteningly violent tales of orangutans being beaten to death, doused with gasoline/petrol and set afire, or worse than you can imagine.

According to the Australian Orangutan Project, unless something is done to protect the orangutan environment, extinction of wild orangutan could occur this year for Sumatran Orangutans and in 2015 for Bornean Orangutans.

What more can we do?

In addition to their adoption program, AOP also has a Safeguard program which works to deter illegal logging and land clearing in Borneo and Sumatra. This program also provides “much needed employment for the young men in the area whose only other option is to work in the palm oil plantations …” Participation in this program is a mere $7.50 Australian per year per 10 hectares (approx. 25 acres) of land.

In the meantime, we await our “official adoption papers”, but as far as we’re concerned, Ugo (and his friends) are now a part of our family.