Unknown to many, within the Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, there is a private piece of land with a little house where Ulrike Freifrau von Mengden lives. In 1968 the German became the first curator of the zoo and was granted the right to live there for life.

The delicate woman, better known as Ibu Ulla, came to Indonesia almost 60 years ago and dedicated her life to saving “Indonesia’s national treasures”. Her home became a sanctuary to numerous wild born, captive orangutans.

Currently 19 Orangutans and a baby named Obama live there. Having heard of Ibu Ulla’s admirable endeavors I wanted to pay her a visit. I only had to pass a simple fence with the sign “bukan untuk umum” – not for the public – that divides the private land from the zoo to get directly to the playground where Tono and Ratna, two 5-year old orangutans, were playing. Happily Tono took my hand with his all-too-human hand, and showed me around...


Like most of Ibu Ulla’s “red-haired children”, Tono and Ratna are orphans: Nobody fully knows about their past, but it’s most likely that their mothers were killed by hunters and the babies were sold. Since keeping protected animals as pets is illegal, they were confiscated and finally entrusted to Ibu Ulla’s care. 

The baby orangutan with the famous name, however, was born in the zoo on January 20th, the very day US President Barack Obama was inaugurated. “We chose the name Obama in the hope for a change for the life of the almost extinct Kalimantan orangutan” says Ibu Ulla. And hope is not lost that Obama someday can be released into the jungle. “Yes, we can” is the motto learned from the US President.

The latest newcomer, the small Seima, curiously watches me and the young apes playing from inside of her cage. Since she was only confiscated a few days ago, she is not allowed out yet. Thorough health checks are necessary first, as well as an assessment of her behavior. Many of the confiscated animals experienced ill treatment by their previous owners and thus might show aggressive or other imbalanced behavior.

Plenty of those orangutan orphans victim to the palm oil industry. For the cultivation of the oil palms, often vast areas of rainforest are cleared and the inhabiting animals, amongst them the legally protected orangutans, tigers and elephants, are killed or orphaned. Although there are laws protecting those animals, it is rarely enforced by the Ministry of Forestry.

When orangutans arrive at Ibu Ulla’s she nurses them back to health, providing a safe environment to grow and rehabilitate; the goal being their return to their natural habitat in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
However to set these wonderful animals free, the support and permission of the zoo is necessary. For many years Ibu Ulla has been fighting grimly with the zoo administration. Ibu Ulla and her personal assistant Barbara have a lot of stories to tell about their numerous efforts: how they found NGOs that were willing to support them, how many others bluntly rejected their request and how glad they are to receive small private contributions (currently mostly from expatriates living in Jakarta). But for large parts of the monthly expenditures for the care of the apes Ibu Ulla provides personally.

In 2002 the modern “Schmutzer Primate Center” was opened in Ragunan Zoo.; a haven for endangered primates of different kinds, e.g. gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans.  The Center was established under the leadership of Willie Smits, who is also the founder of BOS (Borneo Orangutan Survival). Ibu Ulla deeply regreted  seeing him leave after the Center was handed over to the Province DKI Jakarta in May 2006.

Sadly, most of the over 50 orangutans of the Ragunan Zoo cannot be accommodated in the Primate Centre. The alarming conditions they are living in is another issue. When Ibu Ulla and her assistant showed me around they complained bitterly about the poor state of the orangutans’ cages: They are old, run-down, dark and dirty. The keepers are unmotivated and unqualified.  Since the food provided for the primates is not sufficient either, the old lady brings additional fruits, drinks, and milk to the orangutans outside her compound twice a day.

Understandably enough this makes Ibu Ulla very angry. “The Indonesians care more about the African King Kong than about their national treasure!! It is a shame!!”

Finally, by the end of last year a volunteer of Ibu Ulla’s managed to get the attention of DKI Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to the conditions at the zoo. After an assessment of the situation at Ragunan Zoo the director eventually was replaced at the beginning of 2009. With the new director communication improved a great deal. She is much more open for cooperation. However, work on the new orangutan enclosure, which was promised to be completed by December 2009, still has not begun. Quite the contrary, construction on new gorilla enclosures began. This leaves Ibu Ulla once again puzzled and angry: “Why do they, again, spend so much money for an African animal?”

All the more amazing, is how this old lady generates the energy to go on with her endeavor for the orangutans, and never gives up hope. An endeavor that is worth supporting!

To learn more and to help the orangutans please contact the assistant of Ulrike Freifrau von Mengden, Ms. Barbara Ossenkopp, , telp. +6281399393943 or e-mail Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! Sie müssen JavaScript aktivieren, damit Sie sie sehen können.