Inspired Magazine

loggers took to the orangutan with machetes,
slashing great wounds into his flesh. He managed
to escape, crawling back to safety. While his
physical wounds recovered, it took much longer
to heal his mind. Like human refugees exposed
to trauma, orangutans need rehabilitation to
recover both mentally and physically. Again TOP
helps. But how to provide psychological help to an
orangutan?
The answer is simple – shower it with love. “They
need touch, love and affection for their mental
wellbeing,” Leif says. Human carers provide this
love to the infant orangutans – with plenty of
cuddles and affection. Older orangutans are paired
with compatible groups where friendships develop
and love heals mental wounds.
HOPE
Leif quickly came to realise TOP’s main aim
should not be simply to rescue orphaned
orangutans but to prevent their becoming orphans
in the first place. And the only way to do this is to
protect their habitat. With this in mind, TOP is now
leasing vast swathes of rainforest in Sumatra to
protect orangutan homes. It already protects some
2900 orangutans in 150,000 hectares of forest.
But just leasing the land is not enough –
orangutans also face the menace of poachers
seeking orangutan infants for the pet trade and
of illegal loggers slashing down the leased land.
In Leif’s words ...
What inspires me
Compassion for all living beings.
Motto
Compassion, protection, freedom.