Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers are offering a chance to embark on an exciting journey into the heart of the Bornean tropical rainforest.
Samboja Lestari is located in a 2,000 hectare reserve of unique, regenerating rainforest. Relatively unknown, it is located just outside of the jostling city of Balikpapan, known to be one of the best and most accessible places in the world to experience the magic of sun bears and orangutans in their natural habitat. The sanctuary is home to over 72 sun bears & 150 orangutans and an array of other animals including binturongs and macaques.
The Reintroduction Program at Samboja Lestari was the first orangutan reintroduction program established in 1991 by the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation, specifically designed to provide care and rehabilitation for displaced and orphaned orangutans rescued from areas of habitat loss. The main activities of the organisation include orangutan rescue, translocation of orangutans from areas of conflict to areas of secure and protected habitat, the provision of welfare and healthcare, rehabilitation, reintroduction and forest restoration activities.
Volunteers spend two weeks with Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Australia and local staff in Borneo on the Welfare and Enrichment Program supporting captive sun bears & orangutans learn valuable skills like foraging for food, building and using tools and increasing their agility and resilience. Volunteers create food enrichments and toys for the sun bears & orangutans that are essential to their welfare and well being. By protecting and nurturing these animals, and enabling them to thrive the best they can, you are leaving a lasting impact on Indonesia's wildlife that will last generations to come.
All visitors that will, or may, be in proximity to orangutan (10 metres or less) must provide current proof that they are free from a range of diseases that are transmissible to orangutans (see list below). Medical health tests should be less than 3 months old before your volunteer start date.
- COVID Test
- Tetanus Vaccination
- Blood test results for HIV, HEPB, HEPC
- Clear chest Xray for TB (unless you are coming from a TB free country and have been vaccinated for TB).
If you are coming from a Yellow Fever endemic country, you'll need Yellow Fever Vaccine as well.
