Wild animals don’t belong living in a house. No matter how well-meaning the person keeping the wild animal may be, the fact remains that artificial environments and cages just can’t meet the instinctual needs of these dynamic species.

In the case of Si Manis, the orphaned orangutan, this was certainly true. The small orangutan was found all alone by a farmer who took the baby into his care, knowing she wouldn’t survive all on her own. Orangutans are greatly endangered, so acting to ensure her survival was a great deed on the farmer’s part. However, the farmer was not equipped to care for Si Manis, and kept her on a leash and fed her a diet of tofu and rice.

Despite the good intentions of the farmer, it became readily apparent that this was no condition to keep an orangutan. Luckily, the farmer knew that the orangutan would be in better care with professionals and contacted International Animal Rescue to arrange for Si Manis’ rescue.

The little orangutan is now in the care of Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center where she is being fed a proper diet or fruit and veggies. After she passes the quarantine period, she will join a group of other orphaned orangutans and spend three years in Orangutan School, where she’ll learn all the skills she needs to survive in the wild.

Good luck Si Manis!