Orangutan Island

Last updated
Orangutan Island
Genre Nature, documentary, drama
Created by Judith Curran
Narrated by Rodd Houston
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producer Martha Ripp
Producer Judith Curran
Production location Borneo
CinematographySeason 2 - Alex Hubert
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original network Animal Planet
Original releaseNovember 2, 2007 (2007-11-02) 
March 17, 2009 (2009-03-17)

Orangutan Island is an American documentary television series, in the style of the earlier series Meerkat Manor , that blends more traditional documentary filming with dramatic narration. [1] The series was produced by NHNZ with creator Judith Curran also acting as the series producer. Animal Planet's Martha Ripp is the executive producer of the series, and Lone Drøscher Nielsen of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, the founder, and manager of the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project, regularly appears with the orangutans in the show. The series premiered on Animal Planet on November 2, 2007, with new episodes airing Friday nights. [2] A second season began airing in November 2008.

Contents

The show focuses on a group of orphaned orangutans at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center that are raised to go against their normally independent nature and instead cooperate and live together in a society so they can be left to live wild on their protected island. [3]

Production details

Anne Russon, a psychologist who has conducted extensive research in primate intelligence is acting as a scientific adviser for the series. Lone Drøscher Nielsen is the founder and project manager of the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Reintroduction Center and regularly appears in the show interacting with and caring for the orangutan orphans. [4]

Episodes

Season 1: 2007-2008

#TitleAirdate
1"New Beginnings"November 2, 2007 (2007-11-02)
The new orangutans are introduced to their rescue center.
2"The Intruder"November 9, 2007 (2007-11-09)
Hamlet, an older, larger male from a neighboring island, comes to the island and attempts to kidnap Jasmine, although his attempts are foiled by the bandit boys, Saturnus, and Daisy.
3"Lost"November 16, 2007 (2007-11-16)
The wet season arrives and Oyoy and Mogok become independent. Mogok successfully survives 6 days alone, but Oyoy dies when he falls into the growing river.
4"Lessons Learned, Lessons Lost"November 30, 2007 (2007-11-30)
The bandit boys accidentally drop much of their bounty off the ship, and use the help of the swashbuckling Redbeard Hamletto to rescue their booty. Chen Chen loses another eye after opening and attempting to drink a bottle of Jamaican rum, and Cha Cha defeats the kraken while crossing the Bermuda triangle.
5"Break Out"December 7, 2007 (2007-12-07)
Chen Chen, Cha Cha, and Daisy discover that the electric fence separating Orangutan Island, and neighboring Palas Island is not functioning properly, and two Palas Island males get across. They are rounded up by the Teknisi, but Cha Cha is missing.
6"Growing Pains"December 14, 2007 (2007-12-14)
All of the orangutans are inspected for the first time by Lone and their vet, Tim. Milo bullies Bonita, and Cha Cha is found all alone in the forest.
7"Orangutan 911"December 21, 2007 (2007-12-21)
Donald catches a mysterious disease that spreads throughout the island.
8"Eaten Alive"January 11, 2008 (2008-01-11)
An invisible menace is threatening Orangutan Island, and at the Nyaru Menteng Clinic veterinarians work around the clock to unravel the mystery behind Donald, Togar, Mercury and Bonita's illness. Back on the island, fears of an epidemic worsen when Bertha is found to have an abscess.
9"House of Cards"
January 18, 2008 (2008-01-18)
Jordan, the main outsider of the group, becomes more active with Chen Chen and seems to be good at climbing trees. Alibaba finds a jackfruit, and it is shared, but Daisy wants Nadi to share it with her, and doesn't let Nadi onto the platforms. Nadi is bitten by a pit viper.
10"River's Rewards"January 25, 2008 (2008-01-25)
Nadi is treated for a snakebite. She recovers and is sent back to the island. Alibaba raids the fish traps that the Teknisi set up, and earns a higher place in the group's social status.
11"Rumble in the Jungle"February 1, 2008 (2008-02-01)
Most of the orangutans sleep on the forest floor, but they are vulnerable to predators and it is not safe, so Lone tries to build a platform in the tree canopy, away from the ground, to encourage them to sleep in the trees.
12"Who Rules?"February 8, 2008 (2008-02-08)
Lone's risky plan to encourage the orphaned orangutans to spend more time in the treetops has a fatal flaw. But she isn't going to be discouraged and works on a new solution. At the same time, the island is simmering with tension over who will fill the leadership void until the unexpected return of Hamlet. But his reappearance doesn't immediately resolve the issue as another showdown begins.
13"Many Happy Returns"February 15, 2008 (2008-02-15)
For the anniversary of the island, Lone comes for a visit.

Season 2: 2008-2009

#TitleAirdate
1"Cheating Extinction"November 16, 2008 (2008-11-16)
New orangutan orphans just arrived at Nyaru Menteng Rescue Center.
2"An Animal In Paradise"November 16, 2008 (2008-11-16)
It's been 18 months since Forest School class 103 arrived on the island, and 32 of the original 35 orangutans remain, life on the island is still unpredictable. In this episode, two travelers must put their lives at risk to help the orangutans, revealing the greatest surprise yet on Orangutan Island.
3"No Borders"November 23, 2008 (2008-11-23)
There are new arrivals on the island--mother Kiki and her nine-month-old son, Hardi, who came from bordering Palas Island. Although there is an electric fence dividing the two islands, Project Manager Lone Droscher-Nielson quickly realizes that it doesn’t work when Kiki and her son arrive unscathed.
4"Sink Or Swim"November 23, 2008 (2008-11-23)
The bold open border experiment continues, but will the weakest of the orphans end up paying too heavy a price? A wily Palas Island adventurer is already looking to settle an old score.
5"Fight Club"November 30, 2008 (2008-11-30)
Anarchy rules as a vicious battle erupts to fill the power vacuum left by Hamlet. The stakes are high as tenacious contender Reno vies for dominance, but now he must compete with the older, menacing Palas Island males.
6"Kindred Spirits"November 30, 2008 (2008-11-30)
There's calm since Hamlet's return, but it is mostly an uneasy peace between the Orangutan and Palas Island orangutans.
7"We Are Family"February 8, 2009 (2009-02-08)
Exhausted from her motherly duties with baby Hardi, Kiki will never get a break unless she decides to let the other females do the unthinkable – babysit! Meanwhile, vulnerable Mangis is put to the test.
8"Where There Is Smoke"February 8, 2009 (2009-02-08)
Reno's attempt to find his place in the society of Orangutan Island turns play into disaster, especially for Chen Chen. Meanwhile, Saturnus' naughty act sheds light on the current societal hierarchy.
9"Double Edged Sword"February 15, 2009 (2009-02-15)
Hamlet takes a walk on the wild side, which could compromise his entire future. Meanwhile, a plump Chen Chen returns from the clinic fully mended but with no one to greet him.
10"Teen Angst"February 15, 2009 (2009-02-15)
Lone wrestles with how to ensure Bonita's health without devastating the emotional health of her two-year-old foster daughter, Randang. Meanwhile, hormone-fueled Palas Island males go on a rampage, targeting mom Kiki.
11"Chain Reaction"February 22, 2009 (2009-02-22)
After an accident while play-fighting, Jordan faces amputation if an x-ray machine doesn't arrive in time. Later, Jupiter's attempt to become the feminine counterpart to Chen Chen's "demolition man" sets off a chain reaction with Bonita-the unintended and unsuspecting victim.
12"A Walk On The Wild Side"February 22, 2009 (2009-02-22)
Hamlet's dominance is suddenly in question when Lone learns that the vulnerable Bonita has left the island sanctuary after her run-in. It is a race against time to find Bonita before it is too late. The youngster is not mature enough to live in the wild alone and poachers are a constant threat.
13"Moving On"March 1, 2009 (2009-03-01)
Lone is negotiating with the government for a bigger island in order to alleviate overcrowding at Nyaru Menteng. The new island will force its inhabitants such as Cha Cha, Saturnus, Jordan, and Daisy to adapt to the wild and survive in rougher terrain.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Planet</span> American pay television channel

Animal Planet is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily devoted to series and documentaries about wild animals and domestic pets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorja Fox</span> American-Canadian actress and producer

Jorja Fox is an American actress. She first came to prominence with a recurring role in the NBC medical drama ER as Dr. Maggie Doyle from 1996 to 1999. This was followed by another critical success in the recurring role of Secret Service Agent Gina Toscano in the NBC political drama The West Wing in 2000. She played Sara Sidle in the CBS police procedural crime-drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, both as a regular and recurring (2008–2010) cast member. She reprised the role in the sequel CSI: Vegas, which premiered on October 6, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michaela Strachan</span> British television presenter

Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Malaysia

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is located about 25 kilometres west of Sandakan in the state of Sabah, Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature documentary</span> Documentary film genre

A nature documentary or wildlife documentary is a genre of documentary film or series about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on video taken in their natural habitat but also often including footage of trained and captive animals. Sometimes they are about wildlife or ecosystems in relationship to human beings. Such programmes are most frequently made for television, particularly for public broadcasting channels, but some are also made for the cinema medium. The proliferation of this genre occurred almost simultaneously alongside the production of similar television series which is distributed across the world.

<i>Meerkat Manor</i> British television series about a meerkat family

Meerkat Manor is a British television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films that premiered in September 2005. Originally broadcast on Animal Planet International for four seasons, until its cancellation in August 2008, the programme had a revival in 2021 with the programme now known as Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty in some countries. Using traditional animal documentary style footage along with narration, the series told the story of the Whiskers, one of more than a dozen families of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert being studied as part of the Kalahari Meerkat Project, a long-term field study into the ecological causes and evolutionary consequences of the cooperative nature of meerkats. The original programme was narrated by Bill Nighy, with the narration redubbed by Mike Goldman for the Australian airings and Sean Astin for the American broadcasts. The fourth series, subtitled The Next Generation, saw Stockard Channing replacing Astin as the narrator in the American dubbing. In 2021, Nighy could be heard narrating the new series of Meerkat Manor when it was broadcast in the United States on BBC America and on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, making it the first time that both television markets have used the same voice over on the programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NHNZ</span> New Zealand television production house

NHNZ, formerly Natural History New Zealand, is a New Zealand-based television production house.

The Kalahari Meerkat Project, or KMP, is a long term research project focused on studying the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of cooperative behaviors in meerkats. The secondary aims of the project are to determine what factors affect the reproductive success of the meerkats and what behavioral and physiological mechanisms control both reproduction and cooperative behavior. The project is also working on monitoring overall plant and animal populations within the reserve and work with the nearby community of Van Zylsrus in the areas of conservation and sustainable use of resources.

<i>Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins</i> 2008 television film directed by Mike Slee

Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins is a 2008 television film created by Discovery Films and Oxford Scientific Films as a prequel to the Animal Planet series Meerkat Manor. A scripted documentary narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, the film details the life of a meerkat named Flower from birth to her becoming the leader of a meerkat group called the Whiskers. The film is based on the research notes of the Kalahari Meerkat Project and primarily uses wild meerkat "actors" to represent those in the story. Shot over two years at the Kuruman River Reserve in Northern Cape, South Africa, the film employed a much larger crew than the series. Some scenes were shot at a wildlife park in the United Kingdom, while others were created using camera tricks and trained film animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Planet Nordic</span> Pay television channel

Animal Planet Nordic is a television channel broadcasting nature-related documentaries to the Nordic countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo Orangutan Survival</span> A non-profit oragutan conservation foundation.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit non-governmental organization founded by Dr. Willie Smits in 1991 and dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Bornean orangutan and its habitat through the involvement of local people. It is audited by an external auditor company and operates under the formal agreement with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry to conserve and rehabilitate orangutans. The BOS Foundation manages orangutan rescue, rehabilitation and re-introduction programmes in East and Central Kalimantan. With more than 400 orangutans in its care and employing more than 440 people at a 10 sites BOS Foundation is the biggest non-human primate conservation non-governmental organization worldwide. Nyaru Menteng and Samboja Lestari are the BOS Foundation sites that have received most extensive media coverage. Nyaru Menteng, founded by Lone Drøscher Nielsen, has been the subject of a number of TV series, including Orangutan Diary, Orangutan Island and the series Orangutan Jungle School, airing since 2018.

Lone Drøscher Nielsen is a Danish wildlife conservationist who established the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia in 1998.

<i>The Burning Season</i> (2008 film) 2008 film by Cathy Henkel

The Burning Season is a documentary about the burning of rainforests in Indonesia which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. The main characters featured in the film are: Dorjee Sun from Australia; Achmadi, a small-scale palm oil farmer from Jambi province in Indonesia; and Lone Drøscher Nielsen, a Danish conservationist based in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

<i>Orangutan Diary</i> British TV series or programme

Orangutan Diaries is a nature documentary series on the BBC, which follows the lives of Bornean orangutans in the care of Lone Drøscher Nielsen, a member of the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) foundation. The program tries to detail the threat that the orangutans face in day-to-day life. The presenters Michaela Strachan and Steve Leonard follow the careers of the orangutans daily to see what the centre has to deal with.

<i>The Disenchanted Forest</i> 2002 film

The Disenchanted Forest is a 1999 documentary film that follows endangered orphan orangutans on the island of Borneo as they are rehabilitated and returned to their rainforest home. It centres on the three main Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS) projects - Wanariset, Nyaru Menteng and Mawas. It is narrated by Brooke Shields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orangutan Land Trust</span> Organization

The Orangutan Land Trust is a UK charity with the objective of providing sustainable solutions for the long-term survival of the orangutan in the wild by ensuring safe areas of forest for their continued existence. The organization's President and co-founder, Lone Drøscher Nielsen, is a prominent wildlife conservationist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taggart Siegel</span> American documentary filmmaker

Taggart Siegel is an American documentary filmmaker. For 30 years, he has produced and directed Emmy-nominated, award-winning documentaries and dramas that reflect cultural diversity. He is co-founder of Collective Eye Films, a nonprofit media production and distribution organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Planet (Dutch TV channel)</span> Dutch pay television channel

Animal Planet is a Dutch pay television channel broadcasting nature-related documentaries in the Netherlands and Flanders. The channel launched as a Pan-European feed on 1 July 1997. It is operated by Discovery Benelux.

References

  1. McFarland, Melanie (2007-10-25). "Why is 'Meerkat' tragedy so tough to take? It's personal". Seattlepi.com. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  2. "Animal Planet Forges New Ground to Witness the Birth of a Fledgling Jungle Society on Orangutan Island". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2008-01-23.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. Orangutan Outreach: About the Islands Archived 2010-04-03 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Orangutan Island vs. Harper's Island". The Globe and Mail. July 11, 2009. ProQuest   382623754 . Retrieved June 1, 2022.