LESAN BECOMES A MOTHER!

Lesan, one of the first orangutans released by the BOS Foundation to the Kehje Sewen Forest in 2012, was recently spotted holding a newborn baby! We have yet to determine whether the baby is a boy or girl, but this is the second natural birth among our released orangutans in the Kehje Sewen Forest!

We first spotted the new infant on 8 June when Usup and Awal, from our PRM team, were finishing a day of monitoring Yayang and her baby Louise, not far from Camp Lesik. They noticed slight movements coming from up in the trees, and after a closer look saw Lesan with a tiny, reddish-brown baby clinging to her belly. Usup and Awal immediately began taking notes and observed Lesan with her baby until she made her night nest.

Back in October 2015, our PRM team had noted that Lesan showed signs of potential pregnancy, although they were unable to collect a urine sample to determine this.

Lesan came to Samboja Lestari in November 2006, when she was just three years old. After a long period of rehabilitation, she was released into Kehje Sewen Forest on April 23, 2012, at the age of nine. Since her release, Lesan has grown into an amazing individual, and we are delighted to learn she has become a mother.

The day after the discovery of Lesan’s baby, Handoko and Usup ventured out to collect more detailed data through nest-to-nest observations on the pair; they recorded information on Lesan’s activities for the entire day – from the time she woke up until she built another night nest. Both mother and baby appeared to be in good health, and Lesan was seen eating many shoots on the ground.

While she was eating shoots, Lesan was approached by Casey, who tried to touch the baby. However, Lesan would not allow it. Not long after this interaction, Yayang approached with Louise clinging to her belly, but Lesan quickly climbed up a tree and moved off deeper into the forest with her baby.

Lesan rested at noon up in the trees, still holding her infant close. After resting, Lesan returned to the ground to eat more shoots. She moved toward the other side of the forest near Camp Lesik in the afternoon and built her night nest there.

The birth of Lesan’s baby follows that of Louise to Yayang in July last year. This second birth is much-welcomed news and gives us hope for East Kalimantan orangutan populations in the future.

We hope Lesan and her baby will remain in good health together in the Kehje Sewen Forest.