Award-winning Mirror photographer Roger Allen has revealed how his encounter with an abused orangutan transformed him into a dedicated animal rights campaigner, as documented in his new book How to Rescue a Tiger and Other Animals.
The Heartbreaking Discovery in Borneo
During a gruelling river journey to a remote part of Borneo in 2009, Roger Allen discovered Mely, a female orangutan, chained to a wooden post on a verandah. She had been kept as a neglected family pet for 14 years.
"I crouched down, just two feet away from her, as she sat in her own filth," Roger writes. He describes a profound moment of connection where Mely slowly extended her arm, palm open. "I did the same, and our hands touched. Her palm was hard and rough. She didn't squeeze my hand but held it gently, all the while looking me straight in the eye."
Mely's mother had been killed, and she was captured as a baby. She was never taught how to use her arms or legs properly, nor how to perform natural behaviours like swinging through forest canopies or building nests. The muscles in her arms and legs had wasted away due to her prolonged captivity.
A Campaign That Sparked Global Change
The powerful photographs Roger took of Mely were published in the Mirror in 2009 and later picked up by another newspaper. The resulting public outrage was so immense that just three weeks later, the Indonesian government was forced to take action.
The frail orangutan was moved into the care of a sanctuary in Ketapang run by International Animal Rescue (IAR). The images of her rescue prompted a surge of donations, which funded a brand new orangutan centre featuring 27 hectares of rainforest, an on-site hospital, and sleeping quarters.
An IAR report from October 30, 2010, detailed Mely's adjustment, noting she was "showing a healthy interest in food and eagerly trying all kinds of fruits for the first time." The report also explained that, having never seen another orangutan since her mother was killed, her rehabilitation would require time and patience.
Other Remarkable Rescues
Roger's book also highlights other animals he helped save. In 1993, while embedded with the British Army's Cheshire Regiment in war-torn Bosnia, he helped rescue a brown bear abandoned in a tiny cage outside a deserted hotel. The bear, nicknamed Mac, was later transported to a sanctuary in Hungary.
His work also brought attention to two bears, Masha and Dasha, caged in terrible conditions at an Armenian restaurant. After their rescue, Roger had the joy of documenting Dasha becoming a mother to two cubs.
Another significant rescue involved Laziz, a Bengal tiger found emaciated in a tiny cage in a private zoo on the outskirts of Gaza in 2016. As part of Operation Noah's Ark by the charity Four Paws, Laziz was evacuated to a sanctuary in South Africa, a space 10,000 times larger than his previous confinement.
Roger Allen's poignant work demonstrates the power of photojournalism to drive change, offering second chances to the most vulnerable victims of conflict and cruelty.
