OBSERVING RELEASED ORANGUTANS IN THEIR “NEW” ENVIRONS (2)

The PRM team in Bukit Batikap Conservation Forest, Central Kalimantan were observing two mother-infant units: Jambi and Jamartin, and Sumeh, Gembira and Sawung separately when the two groups accidently met up. The interactions between them were quite interesting, as you might have read in the first part of the story.

It did not stop there.

While Sumeh’s arrival helped Jambi become more active, we were worried Sumeh might devour all the food in that area before Jambi even tried searching for it herself. The observations continued the next day when I was with Svenja and Erin, another technician. We picked up Jambi’s signal at the same location as the previous day. Once we arrived at the location, we were all surprised to see not only Jambi and Jamartin, but also Sumeh, Sawung and Gembira as well! They were all in the same tree, relaxing together like nothing had happened the day before.

We were amazed. Jambi was sitting in her nest when Jamartin jumped out and walked slowly to Sumeh and started interacting with her and Sawung. Sumeh started feeding while Sawung climbed up and searched for food on his own. They fed on an unripe fruit locally named lunuk. This fruit can be sour and unappetising to our taste buds, but it seems to appeal to orangutans.

Soon after, Jamartin climbed up and followed Sawung, and they started to play together! Jambi and Sumeh allowed their young to continue playing together then Sawung started to feed on the same fruit. It is clear that despite Sawung’s younger age, he is more skilled in searching for his own food than Jamartin. This might be because Sawung has learned more from his active mum Sumeh compared to Jamartin whose mum Jambi is notably more lazy. Jamartin then fed on the same fruit.

Not long after, and for reasons unknown to us, Sawung let loose a small cry. Sumeh’s reaction was to move closer to Sawung and grab him. Jambi reacted the same way, grabbing Jamartin.

What happened next was even more amazing: Jambi started to feed on lunuk! They all fed in the same tree, peacefully sharing the fruits. Gembira was nearby and seemed unfazed by Jambi’s proximity. Jamartin had many interactions with Sumeh and Sawung, and even some with Gembira. That day made us all very relieved for Jambi.

I noticed something about Jambi; she wasn’t sick at all. Rather, it was almost like she lacked confidence in searching for new foods. Perhaps she previously fed on fruits that tasted unpleasant or were even poisonous, giving her a stomach ache? With Sumeh and her kids nearby, Jambi gained the courage to try the fruit. Also, it is possible Jamartin “told” Jambi the fruits were palatable through his actions. What a nice and rare experience! We believe there must be conversations among orangutans that we can’t hear or understand. Yet, somehow we could feel the warmth and peace of this particular moment. We imagined that somehow Sumeh had helped Jambi to start thriving in the wild, as nature intended.

Four days later, I observed Jambi and Jamartin again. Jambi had already moved to another tree since the last time we had observed her. She was more active, traveling from tree to tree, and even feeding on her own. Jamartin was also great; playing and searching for his own food. We checked for Sumeh’s and Gembira’s signals, but they were undetectable; they must have already travelled far away from Jambi and Jamartin, leaving them with courage and faith behind the trees.

If you are not used to it, it takes courage for a human to walk into the forest with their two feet and heartbeat. The same goes for orangutans when they arrive in a “new”, remote forest like Bukit Batikap. They have gained all the experience they can from the safe environment of Nyaru Menteng prior to being released, yet nature provides a more diverse environment than we humans could ever prepare them for. The dynamics and situations that may arise in the forest are both varied and unpredictable. Orangutans may learn many things during their time on pre-release islands, but in Bukit Batikap everything is more challenging. This doesn’t mean that they cannot survive: Just look at what happened with Jambi and Jamartin when they received unexpected aid from Sumeh and her family! It just goes to show that nature can provide the nourishment, as long as there is still the will to survive. Without human intervention, these orangutans can survive on their own – in ways we could never have imagined. May they become true, wild orangutans once more.