AJENG THE FABULOUS FORAGER

Our PRM team from Nles Mamse Camp recently observed Ajeng over a period of several days, and were delighted to witness her progress since her release into the Kehje Sewen Forest.

The team noted that Ajeng spent most of her time alone foraging. She was spotted on occasion together with Hanung, but seemed to prefer ranging on her own. During observations, Ajeng looked healthy and had a good appetite, with PRM-team data showing that eating dominated her daily activities. The team saw her eat a lot of fruit, young leaves, shoots and termites, which are abundant in the forest. She stayed up in the trees to eat fruit and only climbed down to look for shoots and termites.

During observations Ajeng came across a group of rattan shoots climbing up into a tree. She quickly grabbed them, then still dangling on the branch of the tree, she quickly peeled the thorny rattan bark using her teeth to expose the soft interior. After preparing her snack, Ajeng then moved herself to a more comfortable position to eat uninterrupted.

Kecombrang (Etlingera sp.) shoots also seem to be one of Ajeng’s favourite forest foods. She found a patch of vegetation filled with kecombrang shoots and slowly devoured her fill. Kecombrang shoots, which are smaller than rattan shoots, also produce a flower that orangutans love to eat.

Termites are a great source of protein for orangutans, and Ajeng seems to love these too. Termites are very adept at building solid nests on the forest floor, yet they present little challenge for a clever orangutan like Ajeng, who used branches and tree trunks to break them open to reach the termites.

As with a wild orangutan, Ajeng dislikes being followed. She was continuously recorded kiss-squeaking and throwing twigs at the team members whenever she sensed their presence. Ajeng has proven she has adapted very well to her new home.