Just like humans, orangutans go through various life stages: from infancy and childhood to adolescence and adulthood. Each phase is marked by distinct characteristics and behavioural changes. Adolescence is one of the most fascinating stages, as orangutans begin learning how to live independently, gradually separating from their mothers and exploring the forest on their own.
In Bukit Batikap Protection Forest, Central Kalimantan, our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team has observed a particularly outstanding teenage orangutan. This young individual is the third offspring of Inung (also Indro’s older sibling), a long-term resident female orangutan in the forest. Based on observations, this teenager is estimated to be around 6 years old. A critical age when orangutans begin developing their independence.
With a still-small body size, this orangutan is incredibly agile, swiftly moving between tree branches. The PRM team often finds it challenging to track him in the dense canopy due to his speed. To monitor their behaviour more effectively, they frequently rely on binoculars and camera equipment.
Various natural behaviours have been recorded during observation. The orangutan eagerly feeds on young leaves, flowers, and even tree bark. They also travel between trees using all four limbs to swing and climb, demonstrating classic orangutan arboreal skills. At one interesting moment, they also slept separately from Inung and made a nest close to her mother and brother.
As a wild-born individual, this adolescent orangutan exhibits completely natural behaviours. They have learned everything directly from her mother, Inung, and her surrounding environment. There has been no human intervention in her upbringing, allowing them to develop survival skills instinctively and authentically within their natural habitat.
The presence of this young orangutan is a hopeful symbol for conservation. It proves that when forests are protected and habitats remain intact, orangutans can grow up healthy, learn naturally, and give rise to a new generation of resilient wild individuals. Every movement they make in the treetops reflects a future made possible by conservation. A future where humans and nature coexist in balance.
Text by: PRM Team at Totat Jalu Monitoring Camp, Bukit Batikap, Central Kalimantan
Will you help us rescue, rehabilitate, and release orangutans back to freedom? We can only save the orangutan together. Thank you!
