Orangutan means ‘person of the forest’ in Malay. These primates share a lot with humans - their DNA, traits, home, and now, a schooling system. A rise in deforestation in Borneo has resulted in many young orangutans being displaced, orphaned, and left without the knowledge required to navigate their natural habitat. To give them a second chance at life in the wild, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation runs a forest school as part of the largest orangutan reintroduction programme in the world. While it may seem like they’re just monkeying around here, the animals learn vital survival and social skills such as climbing and nest building. Once they graduate from forest school, the adolescent orangutans enrol in university before taking the leap into the wild alone. Through rehabilitation projects, habitat restoration, education and research, the foundation has successfully released over 450 orangutans. Visit orangutans.com.au to support the ongoing efforts of Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia, one of the sister organisations contributing to the future of Borneo’s orangutans. Footage by Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia was used in the creation of this film.