Dr Francine Neago, 87, who is one of the world’s leading primatologists, has been given a new primary forest site measuring 1,000ha by a former provincial governor to start a new orangutan sanctuary two hours south of the Indonesian capital.
She also plans to start a school of ethology to study animal behaviour at the new site, to spot orangutans in the wild and take care of other wild animals such as elephants.
“Many universities around the world are closing their animal behaviour study centres. If we opened this new centre, thousands would want to come here to study animal behaviour, especially to study orangutans.
“We will have to start from scratch, to mimic the same forest land given to me in northern Sumatra.
“The school and sanctuary will play an important role in addressing the decline of orangutans in the region.
“To do just that, we need at least US$100,000 (RM420,000) to start this new centre,” Neago told reporters at a press conference at the Mugshot Cafe here today.
She also needs 10 to 15 volunteers who are willing to stay in the jungle to take care of the animals.
Neago said although there were no official numbers on the population of orangutans, her sanctuary in north Sumatra has about 50 of the apes.
She said compared to 45 years ago, the population of orangutans had dropped by 30% today. She attributed the drop in population to deforestation, mauling by tigers and sheer neglect.
Neago, who was born in Paris, trained as a medical doctor in London and speaks five languages. She is well known in the region for her work with orangutans.
In the 1960s, she was commissioned by Lee Kuan Yew, who was then chief minister of Singapore, to set up the Singapore Zoo’s primate section.
Neago spent six months at the zoo, staying in a cage filled with about 20 orangutans and studying their behaviour.
She was the first to teach orangutans sign language and how to type on computers.
Neago successfully taught an orangutan named Bulan to express itself with 150 words. She adopted the primate when she was studying at the University of California in the United States.
Six years ago, she proposed a language school for orangutans in Sarawak. The Sarawak Forestry Corporation reportedly said then that it would consider establishing one in “five to 10 years’ time”.
To date, she has written nine books on orang-utans.
Orangutans her first love
Describing her first experience with orangutans, Neago said they were the most loving, gentle and compassionate beings on the planet.
“I was first introduced to an orangutan brought in from Kalimantan at a zoo in Paris.
“I remember playing with the hands of the orangutan. I instantly fell in love.”
She said orangutans, which have a lifespan of 65 years, are also very smart and able to learn languages in a month.
“The females take care of their kids for six months, teaching them everything there is to know about survival.
“They are our closest ancestors. We should regard them as our brothers and sisters,” Neago said.
Neago, who married an Indonesian, first arrived in Indonesia in 1963 and adopted a young orangutan in Java.
“Back then, most people adopted orangutans like their pets. Each backyard had an orangutan.”
She said the numbers had dwindled over the years but she hopes to reverse that with her new centre south of Jakarta.
Those who want to donate towards the new wildlife centre or volunteer as a worker there can contact Neago at [email protected] or +62 812 38662 656.