Orangutan Jungle School’s Season 2 will bring back fan-favorite characters and introduce new personalities to showcase the fascinating life of the endangered orangutan in Indonesia
Blue Ant International oversees licensing for Orangutan Jungle School, with Season 2 now available for pre-sale
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(London, UK – November 29, 2018) – Love Nature 4K, a joint venture between Blue Ant Media and Smithsonian Networks, announced from Content London today that it has greenlit Season 2 of its popular 4K natural history series, Orangutan Jungle School (10×60; HDR and 4K). The follow up season will air on Love Nature’s linear and streaming video platforms internationally and Smithsonian Channel in the US. Orangutan Jungle School is produced by New Zealand-based factual television production house, NHNZ. Blue Ant International oversees the docu-soap’s licensing, now available for pre-sale. The announcement arrives on the heels of Orangutan Jungle School’s Season 1 success, which has seen the series premiere on linear television in Asia earlier this year via Love Nature 4K; and on Channel 4 in the UK. Season 1 is also set to launch on Love Nature in Canada this December and Smithsonian Channel in the US next year.
Orangutan Jungle School, Season 2 kicks off with high drama at the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary in Borneo, Indonesia, where the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation’s (BOSF) highly skilled team manages the largest primate rescue and rehabilitation project in the world. Together, the team of experts continue their work rescuing orangutans that have been displaced from their habitat because of forest destruction, separated from their mothers or kept illegally as pets, while teaching them the skills necessary to return to the wild.
The new season is packed full of exploits from the school’s fan-favorite characters: Big Boy Beni; class clown Valentino and his two sidekicks Yutris and Madara; curious Cinta; and one-handed Kesi as they progress through the facility’s unique school system, which begins in nursery school, continues through middle school and culminates when the animals are 10 years old and graduate to the university-like, pre-release islands in the picturesque Rungan River.
“Orangutan Jungle School has captured the hearts and minds of Love Nature 4K’s audiences around the world, because it has truly shown the remarkable ways these beautiful creatures are similar to us, while shining a light on the horrific environmental conditions they must endure,” said Carlyn Staudt, EVP, Programming & Development, Love Nature 4K. “The inspiring BOSF team act as our guides onsite, sharing their experiences and giving viewers a front row seat to some of the amazing work being done to save the lives of endangered animals.”
“The returning season of Orangutan Jungle School builds on all the fun, drama and emotion from Season 1, while following fan-favourite characters, like Beni and Valentino, and some new faces. It’s such a privilege to work with BOSF and share these stories with viewers from all around the world,” said Kyle Murdoch, Managing Director, NHNZ
“From pure entertainment to new scientific findings on primate behaviour (including never-before filmed moments with these ingenious little apes) to emotional scenes that hold up a mirror to our own lives as humans, wildlife and nature fans can expect multiple levels of enjoyment from our latest installment of Orangutan Jungle School,” said Judith Curran, Writer and Executive Producer, Orangutan Jungle School.
Story arcs which resume from last season include:
- Big Boy Beni continues his frustration with his low fat milk diet, consisting of minimal bananas due to his ongoing weight problem. He begins a spurt of athleticism, which sees him take to the trees regularly, while potentially aiding in his weight loss. This progress is soon derailed when a dramatic accident at forest school sees his friend Lala fall 10 metres from a tree, landing on top of him. Lala fractures her arm and Beni’s femur is broken. While this serious accident leads to three months out of class, it also results in major hilarity for audiences as they watch Beni and Lala experience extreme boredom and invent ways to entertain themselves
- One-handed Kesi‘s resilience and cleverness has won a special place in viewers’ hearts around the world. Missing one hand, which was hacked off by a machete when villagers killed her mother, Kesi has struggled to fit in on crowded Bangamat Island, where she has become a target for a dominant female bully. A devastating attack almost drowns her, which rocks the orangutan’s confidence and may lead to her returning to the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary. She eventually finds her self-assurance again in a remarkable connection with one of the dominant males who becomes her protector and potential boyfriend
- The three amigos Valentino, Yutris and Madara continue to provide comedy every time to they go to class. Sometimes it’s a new way to get to school, like a “cuddle-roll”; other times it’s a “water-sharing” kiss, which goes on for 10 minutes. But the boys are also doing well with their lessons including foraging for a wasp nest and learning how to eat termites
- Little Wine, who suffered from asthma in Season 1, is now full of confidence and strikes up a remarkable friendship with a macaque monkey
New characters include:
- 11 year old Dilla, the oldest female at the jungle school, is pregnant. This turn of events has changed things for her as she prepares to give birth at the sanctuary instead of graduating to the pre-release islands, where most young mothers live. The emotional story of how Dilla gives birth is sure to captivate audiences as she struggles with accepting her baby Delilah
- Sampit and Sawadee, a mother and son rescued from a horrific life performing in a Thai circus, are transported to a free life on Palas Island
- Orangutan Jungle School will introduce fans to three “un-releasable” orangutans who live at Nyaru Menteng’s sister sanctuary in East Kalimantan. Shelton is blind, Kopral has no arms (but a killer smile) and Romeo, 31 years old and one of the largest males, shares his own island with two Juliets. Sun bear cubs Denny Bear and India also continue their adventures when they are transferred to the new sanctuary
The tireless, expert BOSF staff go to extreme lengths to show these orangutans nurturing care, while teaching them the lessons required for their survival. Season 2 will show the team tackle a variety of challenges: infection, lack of resources, environmental issues and the inevitable emotional attachments and devastation they feel for these endangered animals.
The season culminates with an epic release back into the wild for mother and baby, Clara and Clarita, who were reunited in Season 1 after a traumatic separation. Now back in the jungle where they belong, their story represents the true mission for the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary and the hopes and dreams of its students.
Orangutan Jungle School, Season 2 is created, executive produced and written by Judith Curran. Kyle Murdoch serves as Executive in Charge in Production and Anya Durling is Head of Development. Alison Barrat, VP, Development & Production and James Manfull, Executive Producer will oversee the series on behalf of Love Nature 4K.
Love Nature 4K’s channel distribution has grown significantly over the last 12 months with 4K channel launches in Argentina, The UK and Ireland on Virgin TV, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papa New Guinea, Fiji, Qatar, Thailand and The Maldives; and HD channels also airing in Nigeria and Singapore. The brand’s streaming video service, available in 60+ countries worldwide, has also notably launched on Amazon Channels UK, Amazon Channels Germany and Austria and Vodafone TV in New Zealand in the last 12 months.
Love Nature 4K, a Blue Ant Media and Smithsonian Networks joint venture, creates and distributes the largest library of 4K wildlife and nature content in the world. Love Nature is available on linear television internationally and via streaming video in 60+ countries worldwide. LoveNature.com
NHNZ, a Blue Ant Media company, is an international production company that sees the world a little differently, perhaps because its located on the edge of it. Based in Dunedin, on New Zealand’s south-east corner, NHNZ collaborates with some of the world’s best filmmakers to make factual TV for the biggest global broadcasters. Over the years, the company has made original content for PBS, Discovery Channels, Animal Planet, A&E Bio Channel, Smithsonian Channel, National Geographic Channels, NHK, CCTV, Travel Channel, Arte and France Télévisions. NHNZ has also picked up over 300 awards along the way, including the Wildscreen Panda and a number of Emmy Awards. NHNZ.tv
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