Orangutans are losing their forest habitat to palm oil plantations, with orphaned and injured individuals requiring intensive rehabilitation before possible release.
Orangutans caught in deforestation conflict experience severe trauma: mothers are killed and infants traumatically separated, often experiencing the death of their mothers before capture. The rehabilitation process requires intensive bonding with human surrogate mothers for years, creating attachment that must then be gradually reversed for successful release. Many orangutans carry psychological trauma that manifests as anxiety, self-harming behavior, and difficulty forming relationships with conspecifics. Physical injuries from conflict situations require extensive veterinary care.