Pairi Daiza welcomes five orangutans to its Craftsman’s House.
Exchange of 8 animals within the EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme)
Within the European EAZA breeding program, Frankfurt Zoo in Germany and Pairi Daiza in Belgium have organised the exchange of 8 animals: five Sumatran orangutans from Frankfurt and three females from Pairi Daiza have switched homes.
Keypoints:
- All animals arrived safely and according to plan on November 18 at their new homes, but will stay inside to first adapt to their interior habitat and new caretakers.
- Nine orangutans now call Pairi Daiza, recently awarded "Europe's Best Zoo 2025", their home.
- Kembali, Rosa, Indah, Bukit, and Yori are discovering the Craftsman’s House, while Ujian, Sari, Berani, and Mathaï continue to live in the Flower Temple just opposite.
The reason for exchanging the orangutan groups is healthy breeding: orangutans live alone in their natural habitat. Under human care, they are usually living in small groups or families. When they reach sexual maturity, the male animals migrate and find their own territory and mating partners.
In this case, three suitable females, all three living together at Pairi Daiza, moved to form a new group around the twelve-year-old male Sayang in Frankfurt.
Since the infrastructure at Pairi Daiza's The Craftsman’s House has the potential to welcome a bigger group, Pairi Daiza responded positively to an exchange proposal from Frankfurt under the guidance of the EEP - European Endangered Species Programmes, coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.
The Craftsman’s House: This Thai house made entirely from wood welcomes a new family to Pairi Daiza.
In the Kingdom of Ganesha, near the ancient Abbey wall, stands an authentic and iconic Thai house crafted entirely from wood. Its elegant two-tiered roof and supporting columns were salvaged from an older building destroyed by fire.
Inside, you can admire countless wooden sculptures, many depicting sacred animals of Asia — especially elephants, which the newly arrived orangutans can observe from their outdoor activity space.
The Craftsman’s House presides gracefully over this tranquil place, a bit retracted from the crowds, radiating a serene atmosphere perfect for quiet reflection.
From a distance, you might wonder who sits there in meditation — an orangutan or perhaps a Buddhist monk in a saffron robe?
Welcoming Kembali, Rosa, Indah, Bukit and Yori.
It is rather exceptionally the senior members who are moving, 23-year-old male Kembali and the females Rosa (26) and Indah (17) with their two young Yori (7) and Bukit (4). Kembali has stayed in Frankfurt from 2017 – at that time a young male of 15 years, still without the typical cheek pads of adult males, which he only developed with his new rank in the Frankfurt group.
"The new group immediately brings a lively new energy and a warm harmony among the animals. I was personally moved when I saw young Yori playing with the cheek pads of Kembali, a very calm and caring father. These indivuals have charm and personality in abundance, and will surely capture the hearts of our visitors in no time." Niels Vandemeulebroucke, orangutan caretaker.
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Sinta, Molly and Jula will meet Sayang in Frankfurt.
The three females from Pairi Daiza – aged 31, 23 and 11 – will move straight into the ape house, but to the rear of the building. They will spend the first few days there getting used to their new surroundings and their new keepers in peace and quiet. They will then be able to make contact with twelve-year-old Sayang very gently.
The animals are the priority in this exchange.
"Orangutan keepers have been travelling between Belgium and Germany to exchange everything needed to know about the preferences and habits of the animals they hand over, and, of course, to get to know the animals, whose care their team has now taken over. With this knowledge, we can make it easier for the animals to settle into their new homes," explains Dr. Sabrina Linn, head of the scientific department at Frankfurt Zoo.
The exchange prioritises the animals. To ensure that everything runs smoothly and quickly, the zoo teams, veterinarians, authorities, and the company specializing in the transport of zoo animals work tightly together.
The care takers did enjoy to share the caring, mutual respect and a common dedication to animal welfare, all contributing to a warm collaboration.
"It's hard to say goodbye to ‘our’ orangutans. Not only for the zoo team, but also for our conservation ambassadors, volunteers, and many visitors who have been able to watch the two young animals grow up. But I'm really happy that Kembali's group can stay together.The five will live in a large habitat in the neighborhood of another family group and will be able to gather many new impressions," says Frankfurt's zoo director Dr. Christina Geiger.
Ambassadors of their species
Orangutans are not only charismatic, they are also a key species at Pairi Daiza and Frankfurt Zoo, as they are closely linked to the important work of Pairi Daiza Foundation in Borneo and the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Sumatra.
Here, they are ambassadors for their wild and endangered counterparts in Asia. They make emotional connections with the visitors. They are vessels of knowledge and tributes to the beauty of a world we are all called to protect, raising interest and awareness for the benefit of future generations.
Pairi Daiza and the Pairi Daiza Foundation have the mission to promote respect and love for all living beings, by recognizing the beauty and diversity of life in all its forms on Earth.
Our efforts focus on understanding and empathy towards every living being. We take on the crucial role of protecting and restoring nature, while also supporting scientific research and education.
The Pairi Daiza Foundation has been helping to prevent forest fires in the tropical forest in Borneo, where deforestation and poaching are the number one threats for orangutans in the wild:
"The Bornean orangutan is one of three orangutan species endemic to the forest ecosystems of Borneo. Victims of deforestation and poaching, their population has declined by more than 60% over the past 60 years. Since 2019, the Pairi Daiza Foundation has been supporting field projects in Borneo to protect this critically endangered species. Since 2023, this work has included a forest fire prevention programme carried out in collaboration with the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) in Sebangau National Park, which is home to the world’s largest protected population of Bornean orangutans (6,000 individuals). Each year, this forest faces growing threats from peatland fires, mainly caused by old drainage channels created for logging, which dry out the peat and make it highly flammable. To reduce fire risk and limit the impact of these events, efforts focus on blocking these channels to rewet the peat, while also strengthening the capacity of local patrol teams to respond rapidly to fire outbreaks." Catherine Vancsok, Scientific Director of The Pairi Daiza Foundation
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Johan Vreys