A new Marriott Bonvoy partnership is shining a spotlight on Aggy’s remarkable recovery, inspiring travellers to discover Orang Utan Island while supporting orangutan conservation in Malaysia.
Aggy was orphaned shortly after birth and nearly didn’t survive. Today, the young Bornean orangutan has become the symbol of a new conservation campaign encouraging people to support orangutan conservation in Malaysia and help protect one of the country’s most endangered species.
His recovery was made possible through months of intensive veterinary care and rehabilitation by the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation (BMOUIF), before he was eventually accepted by an adoptive orangutan mother at Orang Utan Island in Perak. Operated by BMOUIF, the island is a conservation, rehabilitation, and research centre dedicated to protecting endangered orangutans.
While visitors aren’t guaranteed to see Aggy specifically, his journey has become the heart of a campaign encouraging more people to learn about and support orangutan conservation efforts.
Marriott Bonvoy and BMOUIF launch conservation campaign featuring Aggy
Aggy’s story now forms the centrepiece of a new collaboration between Marriott Bonvoy and BMOUIF. Through Aggy’s symbolic adoption, the campaign hopes to raise awareness of Malaysia’s endangered orangutans while encouraging travellers and Marriott Bonvoy members to support the Foundation’s conservation work through donations and visits to Orang Utan Island.
For more than two decades, BMOUIF has cared for rescued and orphaned orangutans while supporting veterinary care, scientific research, and environmental education.
Since 2009, the Foundation has welcomed over 17,000 students through its educational programmes and supported more than 430 veterinary medicine and conservation biology interns, helping nurture the next generation of conservationists.
Why Malaysia’s orangutans remain a conservation priority
Orangutans are among humans’ closest living relatives, sharing approximately 96.4% of our DNA. Yet they continue to face habitat loss, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, and increasing human-wildlife conflict. Because orangutans reproduce slowly, every successful rescue and rehabilitation effort can have a lasting impact on the species’ future.
For anyone inspired by Aggy’s story, Orang Utan Island offers the opportunity to learn about conservation firsthand. Accessible via a 15 to 20-minute boat ride from Bukit Merah Laketown Resort in Perak, visitors can observe orangutans while learning about the Foundation’s conservation, rehabilitation, and research efforts.
Marriott Bonvoy members will receive special admission rates as part of the campaign, while donations to the Foundation also help support ongoing rehabilitation, research, and education initiatives.
Travel that leaves a positive impact
Aggy’s story is a reminder that travel isn’t only about seeing wildlife—it’s also about helping to ensure future generations will still have the chance to see it. Rather than simply being another wildlife attraction, Orang Utan Island offers travellers the opportunity to support a conservation effort that protects one of Malaysia’s most iconic species.
All media are courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy and BMOUIF.
