CATCHING UP WITH CASEY IN KEHJE SEWEN

This week, our PRM team from Camp Lesik, in the Kehje Sewen Forest, went on patrol in Peapong. We tried multiple times to pick up orangutan signals in the area, but to no avail. After walking along the riverbank for a while, we noticed some movements from across the river. It turned out to be Casey!

We last saw Casey in August 2015, when she was spotted with Lesan. We were excited to catch up with her again, and quickly took out our notebooks to start observations for the next two hours.

Casey appeared very healthy, with a fuller body. This indicates to us that she is thriving in the Kehje Sewen Forest.

That particular day, we saw Casey eat many shoots before she took a rest.

Minutes after settling down for her rest, rain started to fall and Casey sat up on a branch, took some leafy twigs and arranged them into a makeshift umbrella. Casey has now been living wild in Kehje Sewen for four years, almost to the day – and it is clear she has adapted well to her new environment as an independent, wild orangutan.

The rain eased off, but the evening sky began to turn dark and we could hear the approaching sounds of thunder. We completed our observations on Casey and returned to Camp Lesik to share our news with the rest of the team.

It was very heart-warming to see Casey once again, livingin Kehje Sewen Forest.