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UK donors · Symbolic orangutan adoption

US donor? Read the US version of this guide.

Adopt an Orangutan from the UK

How to adopt an orangutan from the UK through WARN — symbolic adoption from £5/month funding forest school and rehabilitation in Borneo.

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Adopt an orangutan symbolically from the UK — partner-led rehabilitation in Borneo

In brief

You can adopt an orangutan from the UK through WARN's symbolic adoption from £5/month at adopt an orangutan — your gift funds partner-led rescue, forest school and rehabilitation in Borneo, not ownership of a named individual ape.

£5+

Monthly from

104,700

Bornean orangutans (est.)

Critically Endangered

IUCN status

UK

Supporter route

Guide 1

What Orangutan Adoption from the UK Actually Means

Symbolic orangutan adoption is a donation directed to orangutan appeal — not ownership of an individual ape. WARN pools adoption income into partner grants for rescue, forest school and soft release in Borneo.

Guide 2

How to Adopt from £5/Month

Visit adopt an orangutan, choose monthly or one-off, pay in GBP, receive confirmation. Request a gift certificate by emailing WARN.

Guide 3

Why Adoption Is Not Individual Animal Ownership

Rescued orangutans are wild animals in multi-year rehabilitation. Ethical programmes minimise human contact. Your adoption supports the whole programme.

Guide 4

Gift Aid and UK Tax

WARN is a registered UK Community Interest Company (Company no. 17298990) and is not a charity, so it cannot claim Gift Aid. The donation case is transparent partner-led welfare where support reaches practical field needs. Symbolic adoption is not Gift Aid eligible.

Guide 5

Where Your Adoption Gift Goes in Borneo

Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). WARN grants to established partners — see Indonesia and orangutan appeal.

Guide 6

Adoption Versus Direct Appeal Donation

Both fund the same programme. Adoption provides a species certificate; orangutan appeal skips the certificate.

Guide 7

Gift Orangutan Adoption for UK Occasions

Works for birthdays and Christmas. Email WARN for a certificate after checkout at adopt an orangutan.

Guide 8

Compare Sponsorship Terminology

Same partner-grant model as sponsor an orangutan — WARN uses "adoption" at symbolic adoption and "sponsorship" in donor guides.

Explore Related Rescue Work

Wildlife guide

Orangutan

Orangutans are Critically Endangered great apes found only in Borneo and Sumatra; all three species — Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli — face extinction driven mainly by habitat loss from palm oil and logging, plus the illegal pet trade.

Country programme

Indonesia

Indonesia is a Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, home to Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Javan and Sumatran rhinos, the Komodo dragon and the sun bear; its wildlife is under sustained pressure from palm-oil and pulpwood deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and one of the world's largest contributions to marine plastic.

Country programme

Malaysia

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian range state for Bornean orangutans (Sabah), sun bears, Sunda pangolins, clouded leopards and the Malayan tiger; it is a top-tier transit country for trafficked wildlife, with Kuala Lumpur's airports and the Port Klang container hub repeatedly identified by UNODC as wildlife-crime chokepoints.

Source Notes

WARN uses named intergovernmental, conservation and animal-welfare sources for numeric claims. These notes summarise the source basis for this page.

IUCN Red List — Bornean orangutan

Critically Endangered.

WARN orangutan appeal

Programme at orangutan appeal.

WARN adopt orangutan

Adoption at adopt an orangutan.

Adopt an Orangutan from the UK: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I adopt an orangutan from the UK?
Yes — symbolic adoption from £5/month at adopt an orangutan.
Do I get to pick the orangutan?
No. Adoption supports the whole programme across Borneo.
Is orangutan adoption Gift Aid eligible?
No. WARN is a registered global not-for-profit and cannot claim Gift Aid
Can I adopt as a gift?
Yes — adopt at adopt an orangutan and email [email protected] for a certificate.
How long does orangutan rehabilitation take?
Five to eight years of forest-school training before release assessment.
Can I visit my adopted orangutan?
No. Adoption funds field work, not tourism.
Can I cancel monthly orangutan adoption?
Yes — email [email protected]; cancels within two working days.
What is the difference from zoo adoption?
Zoo adoption may fund an enclosure. WARN adoption funds partner-led rescue and release.

Help Fund Frontline Rescue

World Animal Rescue Network CIC (Company no. 17298990) raises funds for established local partners. Your support helps build the rescue capacity these animals need.

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