60 Minutes Australia - Season 2013 Episode 13 2013-05-05

Jungle Orphans The People Smuggler Dear Mum, Love Turia Jungle Orphans This is a story about Indonesia’s jungle orphanage. Not for humans but for baby orangutans. Hundreds of incredibly cute but sadly orphaned orangutans, are getting a second chance at life. They’re cared for by dedicated human mums, who raise these hairy little bundles into young adults before releasing them back into the wild. As Allison Langdon discovered, it’s their best hope of avoiding extinction. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: David Alrich The People Smuggler So far this year nearly 7000 refugees have tried to seek asylum in Australia by boat. It’s a desperate journey, and the numbers are only increasing. One of the reasons, too many People Smugglers are getting away with their deadly trade. In fact, one of the most ruthless, is living as a free man, collecting welfare, under the protection of a foreign government and our authorities can’t touch him. He helped load 400 people onto the doomed Siev X which sank on its way to Christmas Island. 353 people drowned. 146 of them were children. He’s been on the run for more than a decade and we’ve just tracked him down. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Stephen Rice Dear Mum, Love Turia Sunday, May 12 is Mother’s Day, a time to thank our mums for their unconditional love and unwavering selflessness. Over the years, 60 Minutes has met some very special mothers and Celestine Vaite is one of them. She’s nurtured her daughter, Turia Pitt back to health, after Turia was severely burnt while competing in the Kimberley ultra-marathon. For this Mother’s Day, Turia has written her mum a letter to say “thank you”. Producer: Ali Smith