Beni, Orangutan Jungle School superstar and internationally beloved orangutan, is facing his greatest challenge yet – life on a pre-release island. In classic Beni fashion, less than two months into his stay, he has already found himself at the center of a major drama.
However, life on the islands is designed to be different from forest school, to really challenge the residents so that they can learn the hard lessons before they are in the unforgiving, wild forests of Borneo. In forest school, the “threats” are for show only, and the surrogate mothers closely watch and diffuse serious conflicts between peers; this isn’t the case on the islands.
One day at the end of last December, Beni learned his first hard lesson.
He acted as if nothing was wrong, but our team found themselves in utter disbelief. Beni had been in a fight, and he had clearly lost. He had on him small nicks, a deep gash over his brow ridge, and his upper lip was completely split. But here he was, patiently waiting for food, probably hoping for some bananas.
Despite his surprisingly normal behavior, our team took swift action. Assisted by Greggy Harry Poetra, a veterinarian from Nyaru Menteng, they moved Beni to the nearby transit complex for treatment.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Beni’s wounds were caused by a canine bite that slashed his left eyebrow and upper lip. Harry and Cinco, two island technicians, reported that they saw Beni near Petruk in the recent past, and he was their prime suspect.
Beni was actually placed on a different side of the island from Petruk, an 11-year old male, and the two sides of the island are separated by an artificial canal that is flooded with river water. However, a build-up of silt, combined with a sudden drop in the water level, made it temporarily possible for orangutans to cross the canal.
Technicians shared that Petruk did not appear to be fighting with any of the other orangutans on the island. They suspected the fight started when Beni stood up to Petruk over food. Beni had known him from forest school, before Petruk grew his flanges and became a fully mature adult male. Learning how to navigate the social hierarchy is an important lesson for any young orangutan, and in this instance, Beni made the wrong decision. But that is what these islands are for, for the orangutans to learn while the BOS Foundation teams are still around to help them back up when they make mistakes!
Vet Greggy said the bite wounds were only skin deep and did not reach the muscle tissue. Although the cut was long and looked a bit worryingly wide, no blood vessels ruptured, hence Beni’s life was not in danger. However, had it been left untreated, there was a potential for infection, so a treatment plan was made and executed immediately.
During his recovery, Beni was given a diet rich in protein and vitamins, such as tempeh, milk, eggs, and fruit, especially bananas, his favorite fruit. The lack of physical activity in the temporary cage compared to on the island resulted in Beni gaining a little weight. “But we can still say that his weight gain is normal for the situation, and he is still not overweight,” stated vet Greggy.
After three weeks of treatment, Beni’s wounds healed completely, and in late January, he was ready to return to the pre-release island.
Be more careful and keep learning, Beni!
Beni’s story shows that the care for our graduated Forest School students doesn’t end on the pre-release islands. While tackling their final steps to freedom, they still need our support. And you can help us!
With your generous donation, our technicians provide supplemental food, monitor Beni’s and his friends’ progress, and our veterinarians make sure they stay healthy.
Give now and receive a personalized digital certificate and unique handprint of our beloved superstar Big Boy Beni if you donate $50 or more!
Give now and receive a personalized digital certificate and unique handprint of our beloved superstar Big Boy Beni if you donate £40 or more!
