John Shakespeare
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
John Shakespeare is a Walkley award winning cartoonist and illustrator at The Sydney Morning Herald. His work covers a variety of mediums, from cartoons and caricature to 3D computer illustration.He also has a deep love of animals, and drawing them.
ARTIST'S REASON FOR PARTICIPATING
" I love animals, and particularly drawing them. When I was offered a spot in the exhibition I didn't have to think about it..Orang-utans are spectacular creatures who deserve to have their wonderful species preserved."
https://www.facebook.com/johnshakespearecartoons
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MELKY
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The Muscle, the Menace, and the Mentor
Melky was rescued by International Animal Rescue in 2010 from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, when he was around three years old. At the time of his rescue, Melky was unable to climb a tree, lacking the basic forest survival skills every wild orangutan needs. His early years in captivity had left him with much to learn—but also with a fiery spirit that would become his trademark at the Ketapang Orangutan Rescue Centre.
Despite his challenging start, Melky quickly grew into a force of nature. He became the biggest and strongest member of the juvenile group in forest school—often located by the cracking sound of small trees snapping under his weight as he thundered through the canopy. But his mischievous antics were matched by his softer side: Melky was known for his gentleness with the younger orangutans, even offering them shelter during rainstorms.
Never one to go quietly, Melky regularly gave his carers a run for their money. Once, instead of joining the others for the morning trip to forest school, he rampaged around the perimeter of the night cages waving a black plastic bag and dodging even the most tempting treats. After an hour-long game of cat and mouse, finaly keeper Aying managed to catch him by the foot mid-air.
After eight years of dedicated rehabilitation, Melky achieved what every orangutan at the centre hopes for—freedom. In January 2018, he was released into the Gunung Tarak Protected Forest, a safe and rich ecosystem ideal for orangutans to thrive. Melky’s journey from a grounded, captive juvenile to a wild forest-dweller is a testament to the resilience of orangutans and the power of rehabilitation.
