Vicki Skeen
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY -None available
BUJING
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From Chains and Wounds to Wild and Free
In 2014, International Animal Rescue’s team, alongside the Forestry Department (BKSDA), travelled deep into the remote region of Nanga Bengaras, West Borneo, to rescue a five-year-old male orangutan named Bujing. After hours of navigating treacherous roads and rivers, they arrived to find Bujing in heartbreaking condition: chained by the neck to the side of a house, severely underweight, hairless from malnutrition, and carrying deep wounds on his back.
His owners had bought him as a baby for 500,000 rupiah (around £30) and, while claiming to “love animals,” had kept him confined and malnourished. When Bujing once escaped, he returned with serious injuries believed to be caused by a sharp object. Instead of proper treatment, his wounds were smeared with tobacco—a common but harmful traditional remedy.
Thankfully, Mr. Seda, aware of the legal implications, surrendered Bujing without resistance. As the transport cage couldn’t be accommodated on the boat ride back, Bujing calmly travelled wrapped in a blanket, quietly sitting beside the rescue team—resigned but resilient.
At the IAR Centre in Ketapang, he received urgent veterinary care and slowly began the long road to rehabilitation. Despite the early trauma, Bujing showed remarkable determination to survive. Over time, he regained his strength, his fur, and most importantly, his natural instincts.
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On June 28, 2019, Bujing was released into Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park, along with four rehabilitated female orangutans—Kibo, Japik, Manis, and Santi. From a chain outside a village home to freedom in the forest, Bujing’s journey is a powerful story of healing and hope.
