0:00:02 > 0:00:056.00am on the Katingan River, Indonesian Borneo.
0:00:05 > 0:00:11We're on a rescue mission to help save some of our closest animal relatives.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Orang-utans.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Their forest home is being destroyed at a terrifying rate.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Many are being killed by poachers,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and their babies kept illegally as pets.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26If nothing is done, these magnificent animals
0:00:26 > 0:00:30will be extinct in the wild within ten years.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Hope lies with a dedicated few,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37who are doing all they can to save the orang-utan.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41We'll be joining them for the emotional rollercoaster ride
0:00:41 > 0:00:44that is Orang-utan Diary.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04We've had a report that there's a young orang-utan
0:01:04 > 0:01:06being kept in a village upstream.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10So we've joined with the forestry officers to head up there and bring it back to the centre.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21So far, we know it's a little girl,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23but no more than that.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Oh, yes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37That is one very frightened and traumatised little orang-utan.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42'Just imagine a two-year-old human child being taken from its mother
0:01:42 > 0:01:44'and chained up in a shed.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'It's illegal to have a baby orang-utan as a pet,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59'so when they're found, they're confiscated.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00'Things don't always go smoothly,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04'but our orphan is being handed over voluntarily.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Our little orphan's journey starts here.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17But she's far from happy.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Obviously traumatised, she's refusing to eat or drink.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33She's in a world that's completely alien to her.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Born high in the tree tops in the Indonesian rainforest,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39she would have been totally reliant on her mother,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42for milk, warmth and love,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43just like a human baby.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Now alone, our orphan's only hope for a return to the wild
0:02:56 > 0:02:59rests with Lone Droscher-Nielsen,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and the team of the Borneo Orang-utan Survival Foundation.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Lone has dedicated the last 13 years to saving orang-utans
0:03:08 > 0:03:11after giving up her career as an air stewardess.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20The centre contains both wild orang-utans,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22rescued from forest under threat of destruction
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and orphaned animals confiscated from people keeping them illegally.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36The youngest face at least six years in captivity,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40learning the life skills their mothers would have taught them.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Every morning, these tiny babies are taken outside.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56They're looked after by dedicated babysitters,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58who are with them 24 hours a day.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Look at these guys. They're just adorable. Aren't you?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12How many have you got in the nursery at the moment, Lone?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Somewhere around 15!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16And what sort of ages are they?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The youngest we have is only about three weeks old.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And then two are a year and a half, almost two.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29How long do they spend in the nursery before the next step?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It depends on their personalities, on their capabilities.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Also age. It is mainly their capabilities.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39They need to be able to climb up in the top of the trees
0:04:39 > 0:04:40before we move them on.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46'Kesie is the biggest orang-utan in this nursery group.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50'She's been here longer than the others, due to a disability.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51'She lost a hand,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55'probably from the same machete blow that killed her mother.'
0:04:57 > 0:05:01You can see that compared to all the other babies in this group,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Kesie is much more advanced. She's older, for a start,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and despite her handicap, she's brilliant at climbing now,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11so she's pretty much ready to move onto the next group.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25We're halfway back to the centre.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30Sorting out a vehicle to take us the rest of the way is taking a while.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33The good news is that our orphan, too scared to eat or drink,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36hasn't stopped feeding since we sat down.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43She seems to have an insatiable appetite for bananas,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46which is great.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I think that's about, one, two, three...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50This is number eight going in now.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Looks like our transport's arrived.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- Are we OK?- Yeah.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'It's a big day for little orphan, Kesie.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10'She's outgrown the nursery,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15'so we're taking her on a short ride to the first of the centre's forest schools.'
0:06:15 > 0:06:16It's exciting.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20She's tasting the air, look.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Is that what she's doing?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It's the air-con. She likes the wind from the air-con.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26MICHAELA LAUGHS
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Look at that tongue!
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Do do do.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45'Eventually, all of the babies in the nursery group will be moved here,
0:06:45 > 0:06:46'Forest School One,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'home to orang-utans between six months and three years old.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'All have lost their mothers,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'and are now dependent on the babysitters
0:06:54 > 0:06:56'for love and education.'
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The aim is to eventually get as many of these orphans
0:07:00 > 0:07:02back into the wild as possible,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and that means learning certain skills
0:07:04 > 0:07:07they would have spent years learning from their mothers.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10For Kesie, I think your biggest challenge is going to be
0:07:10 > 0:07:12mixing with orphans your own age,
0:07:12 > 0:07:13and climbing these big trees.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Do you think you can manage?
0:07:15 > 0:07:16I reckon you can.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Lone, she's not interested in a new friend, she's just interested in the pineapple.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Maybe it's because it's the first time she's had it.- Is it?
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Yeah. The baby group, their stomachs are too sensitive for pineapple.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Well, that looks pretty yummy, then, doesn't it, Kesie?
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Duta, I want you to meet your new friend.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Duta, this is Kesie.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Kesie, this is Duta.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Now, Duta is very handsome, Kesie.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Look. Look at this beautiful face.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Ooh! He is a Casanova, look at that!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Straight in there for a cuddle!
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Not even a, "Hello, how are you?"
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Oh, sweet!
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Kesie's showing no interest whatsoever.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Give me my pineapple!
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Hey, look at that. Kesie is showing a very good start.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43On day one,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45of Forest School One.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Because this is exactly what she's come to this group to learn to do -
0:08:48 > 0:08:51to climb tall, straight trees like this.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54That's actually one of the reasons she was kept back.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Because she's only got one hand, it's obviously a lot harder for her.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Our little orphan's arrived at the centre.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Her rehabilitation back to the wild can now begin.
0:09:17 > 0:09:23It's amazing to think that frightened baby we saw earlier,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28rescued in such traumatic circumstances...
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It's dreadful to think...
0:09:31 > 0:09:34That might have been an isolated incident,
0:09:34 > 0:09:39but when you realise that every one of these little infants here
0:09:39 > 0:09:44has gone through something similar, it shows why this place is here,
0:09:44 > 0:09:45and why it needs to be here.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48At least these guys now have a chance
0:09:48 > 0:09:52at having some semblance of a normal life.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Every orang-utan here is given their own name.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Our new edition here is going to be called Ellie.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Ellie has now been introduced to these other orang-utans
0:10:04 > 0:10:07that are actually part of a quarantine group.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09This is for their safety,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13until we work out that they're all free of the major diseases.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17And it's a great opportunity for her to learn how to be an orang-utan again.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21One of the things she has learned is that orang-utans don't normally stand up!
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I think she's been watching too many humans.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Well, this is the rainy season,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and you can see we've got a real rain storm going on.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We've got thunder and lightning, so we've taken cover.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52But look at this little orang-utan.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57This is Lamon, and he is a very poorly little baby.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He came in ten days ago.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03He was confiscated from a cage where he was chained up.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06He's very thin, very malnourished.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12They think he's got a lot of parasites. He's anaemic.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14He's not eating or drinking.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19He had his head shaved. Nobody knows why. That's just the way he came in.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21This is a real worry, this orang-utan.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24He's actually calmed down from when he first came in.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25He didn't want to look at anybody.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27He was under the towel all the time.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29He was pushing people away.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34And that's, very sadly, probably because he was beaten in the cage.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Poor little thing.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40This is an orang-utan we're going to have to keep a real look out for.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They can go downhill so quickly when they're in this sort of state.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'There's also a major worry in the nursery group.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'Some of the smallest orang-utans have come down with a flu virus.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'Every precaution is taken to avoid illness.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'Everyone here, including Steve and I,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06'have been screened for infectious diseases.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09'But some sickness is, sadly, unavoidable.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14'Steve and the other vets are very worried.'
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- Hi, Steve.- Hi.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20How's it looking? Oh, my goodness. What's happened to this one?
0:12:20 > 0:12:24This is Don King. He's come down with flu pretty badly at the moment.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28His lungs sound horrible, actually. I've just had a quick listen.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31He's got a lot of fluid build-up on his chest.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The problem is, whatever the virus is going round
0:12:34 > 0:12:38it's hitting all these small ones really hard.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42They're already at the most vulnerable stage of their lives.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Once you get bacteria in on top,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47then it can make a real mess of their lungs,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and if that's the case,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53then all you can do is throw as much medication at them as possible,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57stick them on oxygen and hope they bounce back.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Are you worried about these ones?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01This is the group we've got to be most worried about.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06They're so small that some of them have already got other complaints.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09They should have been suckling off their mothers,
0:13:09 > 0:13:14getting their immune system boosted by antibodies in the milk.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Now that's gone,
0:13:16 > 0:13:21they're never going to be as strong as a wild orang-utan, so...
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Of all the animals in this whole centre that are at risk,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27these are the worst, definitely.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'Each of these little ones has had such a tough start in life.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41'Many have seen their mothers killed, often in brutal ways.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'But these orphans at least have a chance.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50'The attention they should have got from their mothers
0:13:50 > 0:13:54'is now supplied by these dedicated foster parents.'
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Over 100 full-time staff are employed at the centre.
0:14:09 > 0:14:15It's a huge job looking after so many vulnerable orang-utans,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17especially when they're sick.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Everybody in this group of Ellie's
0:14:24 > 0:14:27is feeling a bit under the weather this morning.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Ellie and Aggis here have had some medication
0:14:30 > 0:14:33to make them feel better.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37For now, I think they're just happy to lie in their sick beds.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Here you go. I'll hold your foot.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40There we go. Ah.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45She's very warm, actually. You can feel the heat in her hands.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49There is one exception, and that's a particular favourite of mine
0:14:49 > 0:14:50called Grendan.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It'll take more than a measly flu to slow him down.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56He's the little tike that's in this group.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I think that Grendan could possibly be
0:15:01 > 0:15:03the best thing that's happened to Ellie.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05He's the one ape that she's really bonded with.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07HE LAUGHS
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Even though he's a little bit smaller,
0:15:11 > 0:15:17he's showing all the signs of being ready to move to the next step.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22He's fit, he's healthy, he's an intelligent little guy,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25so they could pair up quite nicely.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Which would be really good for her, and him,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32to go into a group where they at least know one other individual.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Even if all they do is pull each other's hair!
0:15:42 > 0:15:44HE CHUCKLES
0:15:47 > 0:15:49When you come to this side of the centre,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52it makes your realise just how tragic the situation for orang-utans
0:15:52 > 0:15:54in Borneo is.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57This centre was built for 100 orang-utans.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00There are currently 450 here,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and they except about another 50 to arrive soon.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06It's literally bursting at the seams.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The orang-utans that are in these cages, some are in quarantine,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14but a lot of these orang-utans are larger, wilder orang-utans,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and are actually ready to go back into some sort of wild.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But at the moment, there's nowhere for them to go to.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23You can't just find a piece of wild land
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and put a rehabilitated orang-utan back in.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27It doesn't work like that.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30You have to get permission, see who that land belongs to,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33make sure that land is going to be protected
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and that the forest isn't just going to be cut down.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39So, at the moment, these orang-utans are going to stay here,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41until that land can be found.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'But Lone and the team have come up with one solution
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'to the overcrowding problem.'
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'The foundation has leased a group of islands in the local river,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03'where the bigger orang-utans are released
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'into something close to a wild environment.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:16'On the islands, all the animals receive the minimum human contact,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'pushing them one step closer to an independent life.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:32'Both adult females and males live on the islands,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34'and there are some babies, too.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Look! Oh, how old is that baby?
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Shirley's baby is, if I'm not mistaken, about five or six months.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47That is so sweet. That's how you should see a baby.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Not clinging to our backs.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- How many are here on the island?- 43.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- And what's going to happen to them? Will they stay here?- No.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57They're gonna be released.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00They've been ready for the last two years to be released.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02We just haven't had any release sites for them.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06But things are looking up this year, so maybe in August, they'll be released.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Will they be released together?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11They'll be released in small groups.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15We know who is friendly with who. We won't put the big males together.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Probably in groups of four or five.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20One thing I find incredible is
0:18:20 > 0:18:23all these rehabilitated orang-utans are so social.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26In the wild, they would be completely solitary.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Do you think when they're released they'll stay social,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32or will they just go off in their own separate ways?
0:18:32 > 0:18:36They will start going off. The males, when they start developing the cheek pads,
0:18:36 > 0:18:37the hormones start kicking in.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41The females will stay in the area, but they won't socialise as much
0:18:41 > 0:18:44because the food availability will be less than what it is here.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- They socialise because there's food here.- How often do you feed them?
0:18:48 > 0:18:49We feed them twice a day.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Do you think once they get put out into the real world
0:18:52 > 0:18:55they'll be able to cope finding enough food?
0:18:55 > 0:18:57We'll keep on giving them supplemental food
0:18:57 > 0:18:59for as long as they need it.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Some of these mothers, I presume,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10are mothers that have been in captivity their whole life.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13How did they cope with knowing how to bring up a baby?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I don't know. I didn't teach them, for sure,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18but the islands bring instincts out.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22When they live in the wild, it brings the instinct of motherhood out,
0:19:22 > 0:19:23the age also.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27We see if they have babies in zoos or cages
0:19:27 > 0:19:31that they often don't know how to take care of their babies.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It's so sweet to see that little infant just leaving its mum,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36playing in the tree.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39He's got the biggest ears. He can almost fly.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Lone, it must be amazing for you to see some of these orangs.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49These are ones that would have come into your centre in such a bad way,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and to see them progress to this stage must make your feel very proud.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Well, it does, but also it makes me feel relieved,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59parents getting their kids off to university,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02it's quite nice getting them out of the house.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09'Finding the right wild release site is Lone's biggest concern.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'As long as their forest home remains under threat from deforestation,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18'more animals are likely to come into the centre than leave it.'
0:20:25 > 0:20:28We've had a call that a wild orang-utan has been seen
0:20:28 > 0:20:32wandering near a road, close to a newly-destroyed patch of forest.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I'm heading out to see whether we can rescue the animal
0:20:35 > 0:20:37and bring it back to the centre.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43For the first time, I'm seeing the total devastation that is so common
0:20:43 > 0:20:44all over Borneo.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It is the scale of it that really gets me.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It just goes on for ever and ever.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00The only boundary we can see to this whole area is miles over there,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02you can just start to see the edge of the forest.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05And we know that's probably not going to be here
0:21:05 > 0:21:06the next time we come here.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'The natural habitat of the orang-utan is disappearing
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'at a faster rate than ever before.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20'A new threat, the palm oil industry,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'is driving the destruction.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26'Palm oil is present in one in ten of our supermarket products,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29'from crisps to shampoo.'
0:21:31 > 0:21:35This is all fairly new. If you look, all the palm trees here
0:21:35 > 0:21:38are very, very small.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41They've only just planted this area out.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49It won't produce any viable produce for at least five years.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53'In the last ten years,
0:21:53 > 0:21:58'the area of land occupied by palm oil plantations has doubled.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04'At the same time, orang-utan numbers in the wild have halved.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:14At no other time have orang-utans needed our help more
0:22:14 > 0:22:16than they do today.
0:22:20 > 0:22:27This chap here has seen an orang-utan walking.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31I think, from what I can tell, that he saw it walking along here
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and then as he shouted,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37it's disappeared in here, but at the moment, we can't find it.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52'It's getting near the end of the day
0:22:52 > 0:22:56'and the orang-utans are being brought back to the nursery.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04'It's important for the sick ones especially
0:23:04 > 0:23:06'to get as much rest as possible.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'Their washing basket beds are meant to replicate the nest
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'their mothers would have built them, high in the forest canopy.'
0:23:21 > 0:23:24'But right now, they offer only little comfort
0:23:24 > 0:23:26'to the sick babies in the group.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I reckon it's going to be another busy night in the nursery.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36There are 15 babies in here. All of them except three have got the flu.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38A couple of them are on oxygen,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41many of them are still feeding throughout the night,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43so the sitters have got a tough night ahead of them.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56'The wild orang-utan has been spotted heading into a tiny fragment of forest left from the clearances.'
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Ho ho. Nearly lost it there.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04'Tomorrow, this patch of forest will be destroyed,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06'so this rescue is critical.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'We have to get the orang-utan out at all costs.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Here it is, here it is.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17It's just trying to escape at the moment.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It's moving across the forest.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27'On the rescue team is a highly-skilled marksman,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29'who will attempt to anaesthetise the orang-utan
0:24:29 > 0:24:31'with a tranquiliser dart.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:35There we go. You can see it quite clearly now. There he is.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39It's going to take quite a shot.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53This whole system works on compressed air.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Even the dart itself contains compressed air.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04When it actually goes into the animal, it will release the drug.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Ooh. Lovely. Yeah. He did not like that, obviously, but...
0:25:28 > 0:25:31He's moving. They're going with the net.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33OK.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46He's gone back this way.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Go, go, go.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Yeah, back up.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Running through the bottom of this forest while it skims across the top
0:26:01 > 0:26:04is not easy at all.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08We absolutely have to be under the tree
0:26:08 > 0:26:10when the sedative has its full effect.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Because it's going to fall out of the tree.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Right, it's stopped reacting now to us shouting,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20so it's getting sleepy.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23OK, it looks like this is the place.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35It's a hell of a drop.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45This is quite a distance to fall.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49It looks about 25 metres to me, at least.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54It's not reacting any more.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59It's just sat there, and quite often, under sedation, they can hang on for ages and ages.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01And then, literally, they'll just drop.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05So we've got to be ready.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Here we go. Come on, come on.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Oh, hang on. He's moving now.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Here we go, here we go.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Ooh.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Oh, my God.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39That was a fall and a half.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Let's have a quick look.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45It's a male.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51I just wanted to check his ribs, because he did land face down.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57He's actually done quite well. The net seemed to do its job.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That was absolutely extraordinary.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's like rescuing somebody from a burning building,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10which is exactly what this little patch of forest is
0:28:10 > 0:28:16for these orang-utans, because pretty soon, it's going to be gone.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2007
0:28:47 > 0:28:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk