Orangutan Jungle School

Orangutan Jungle School
GenreNature documentary
Created byJudith Curran
Narrated byRebecca Parr
Country of originUnited Kingdom, Indonesia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
Release15 August 2018 (2018-08-15) –
present
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Orangutan Jungle School is a British documentary television series showcasing the journeys of several orphaned orangutans at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is run by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. The show was produced by NHNZ and Antenna Pictures and distributed by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and the Smithsonian Channel in the United States. Judith Curran, who created and produced Orangutan Island, wrote and produced the seasons. It premiered on Channel 4 on August 15, 2018, later released in 2019 in the United States. The second season began airing in July 2019, but further seasons were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Following a three-episode miniseries, Becoming Orangutan, a third season was ordered for production and premiered on August 15, 2024.[2]

Similar to Orangutan Island, the show follows multiple baby orangutans who are orphaned after their mothers were killed, often due to their encounters with humans.[3][4] The babies are rescued and raised together at the "school" in hopes that they can become independent and be reintroduced into their natural habitat.[5] As of 2019, there were 300 orphans in the program, each one assigned to a different group based on age and developmental skills.[6] Groups 1 & 2 are for the youngest orangutans, while Group 3 is for juveniles starting to build confidence. The oldest groups, 4 & 5, train in the canopy to prepare for their eventual reintroduction. Because orangutans learn by example, staff members often demonstrate skills for them, and occasionally set up fake drills and scenarios to test the babies' instincts.[7]

The series has been supported by wildlife non-profit organizations including Orangutan Outreach and Save The Orangutan.[8][9]

  1. ^ "Orangutan Jungle School". Orangutan Outreach. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  2. ^ "Orangutan Jungle School Returns For Season 3". Borneo Orangutan Survival. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  3. ^ "About The Orangutan Jungle School". 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  4. ^ "School for Orphaned Baby Orangutans Helps the Young Primates Grow Up and Graduate to the Wild". People.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  5. ^ "Nyaru Menteng". Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  6. ^ "Orangutan Jungle School – Season 1". 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  7. ^ van Schaik, Carel P.; Ancrenaz, Marc; Borgen, Gwendolyn; Galdikas, Birute; Knott, Cheryl D.; Singleton, Ian; Suzuki, Akira; Utami, Sri Suci; Merrill, Michelle (2003-01-03). "Orangutan Cultures and the Evolution of Material Culture". Science. 299 (5603): 102–105. Bibcode:2003Sci...299..102V. doi:10.1126/science.1078004. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 12511649.
  8. ^ "Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF)". Orangutan Outreach. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  9. ^ "Join our live streaming event on International Orangutan Day". Save the Orangutan. Retrieved 2024-10-02.