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 15 August 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. Following a three-episode miniseries, Becoming Orangutan, a third season was ordered for production and premiered on 17 August 2024.
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. The babies are rescued and raised together at the "school" in hopes that they can become independent and be reintroduced into their natural habitat. As of 2019, there were 300 orphans in the program, each one assigned to a different group based on age and developmental skills. 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.
The series has been supported by wildlife non-profit organizations including Orangutan Outreach and Save The Orangutan.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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