ARE ORANGUTANS EMPATHETIC?
It was a usual day at the Nyaru Menteng forest school, where young orangutans were learning from one another while their human surrogate mothers looked on from below.
A phenology data collection expedition was organized by the PRM team a few months ago with the intention of looking for orangutans and collecting post-release monitoring data once the phenology work was completed. Keeping this in mind the team went equipped with the necessary gear including camera, binoculars, tent and tarpaulin.
The team arrived at the Flying Camp by Lembu River at lunchtime, but considering the bad weather they set up their tent before breaking for lunch. The weather took a turn for the worse with heavy rain falling all day through till late afternoon and by evening the Lembu River was flooded. The Team at the camp had to be on guard and monitor the steadily rising water level.
The next day, inspite of continuing heavy rain, the Team started their work and set about collecting data combined with looking for orangutans north of Lembu River. They checked for orangutan signals every 100 meters, but did not detect any frequencies. However, they did find some newer nests which seemed to be 1 or 2 weeks old looking at their newly yellowed leaves. The team wrapped up early evening around 16.30 in anticipation of more flooding.
Phenology and the Mysterious Long Call (Photo credit: Guswan)
Phenology and the Mysterious Long Call (Photo credit: Dani)
Phenology and the Mysterious Long Call (Photo credit: Dani)
While the expedition may not have yielded any results with regards to their search for orangutans, the morning after their arrival back at Camp Lesik the team got a positive lead in the form of a long call from Berlian Hill direction. A radio transmitter check detected only Leke’s signal; however the Team reckoned that the long call might have come from Acul and decided to conduct a manual search.
Next day they left the Camp for Berlian Hill to look for Acul and Leke and after searching several parts of the hill the Team found Leke climbing down a tree. Leke kept an eye on the team members who had to step backward to give her some space and were observing her from afar. Leke was observed eating young ficus leaves and Baccaurea fruit and she looked very healthy. On their way back to the Camp they also came across Casey playing in a tree.
These expeditions and searches for our beloved orangutans released in Kehje Sewen will continue and we will keep reporting their findings, so you shall hear from us soon!
It was a usual day at the Nyaru Menteng forest school, where young orangutans were learning from one another while their human surrogate mothers looked on from below.
Our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team at Camp Himba Pambelum in Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR), Central Kalimantan, encountered Suci, a young female orangutan, three times back in 2023.
Kopral has been receiving treatment at the clinic since April 2023 due to wounds on the sole of his right foot and fungus between his toes.
