THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING ORANGUTAN HABITAT
Orangutan Day is celebrated every year on August 19th!
Nearly every day our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team in Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR) conducts their routine forest monitoring and patrols. These patrols are critical, as they bring the team into the proximity of new and old orangutan faces. One of the team’s favourite orangutans to run into is Randang, a female who was released at the end of 2019. Randang was last spotted in mid-2022 with her new baby, who we later named Rangkong.
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It was a rainy day in early 2024, when our PRM team was planning on conducting their monthly phenology survey. They waited for the rain to subside and entered the forest to begin data collection, but their eyes darted to a shaking of trees. Immediately the team knew that there was an orangutan watching them. They slowly approached and were enthralled to discover, that after two years, the mother-daughter pair, Randang and Rangkong, had finally reappeared! The duo were busy enjoying their lunch together.
The team instantly took out their camera and notepads to start making observations. They watched on as Rangkong learned from Randang which forest fruits were edible. Rangkong, a diligent student, was imitating Randang's behaviours. Together, they devoured a wide variety of foods, including wild guava fruits, young bamboo shoots, kempas tree leaf shoots (Koompassia malaccensis), wild fig tree bark (Ficus sp.), and young lianas.
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Rangkong, who we estimate to be about two years old, made it clear that she was uncomfortable with the human observers below. She did so by shaking branches in their direction, all the while Randang remained unphased and continued to chew on the young leaves.
Once their meal was done, the pair moved towards the river. However, before they could descend to the refreshing water, another orangutan suddenly appeared. It was just a moment, but the team believed the individual to be Chio and clearly Randang was not happy to see him. She took off right away with Rangkong, but Chio followed behind. At the same time, our PRM team lost track of Randang, Rangkong, and the troublemaker, Chio.
Orangutan Day is celebrated every year on August 19th!
Every kid gets bored at school now and then, dreaming of escape but rarely daring to try. However, there's always that one brave soul who takes the plunge. Such was the case at the Nyaru Menteng Forest School one sunny morning.
Galaksi, once a tiny and fragile orangutan at Samboja Lestari’s Rehabilitation Centre, has blossomed into a lively and spirited youngster.
