Do you remember Jenny, the young orangutan who came from Pendamaran Village, Kembang Janggut District, last January? It has now been seven months since she arrived at the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in East Kalimantan. The once timid baby orangutan has now adapted well and is showing more courage as she grows in our care. Let’s take a closer look at her journey!
Jenny was initially found in an oil palm plantation and had been kept by local residents for about five months. After receiving the report, the BKSDA SKW II Tenggarong team and the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation rescue team quickly evacuated her and brought her to Samboja Lestari. Upon arrival, Jenny underwent a full medical check-up and was declared physically healthy.
Following her health check, Jenny was placed in the Baby House Complex to begin her adaptation period. At first, she was still emotionally fragile—crying frequently and only feeling safe when held by her chosen surrogate mother. It took her a while to become familiar with her new surroundings and to start interacting with other baby orangutans.
Jenny also had to be bathed upon arrival, as she was quite dirty. This initial care was an important step before she could move on to the next stage: Forest School.
Just a month after her arrival, Jenny began to show promising progress. She started participating in Forest School activities and learning to recognize natural forest foods such as leaves and wild fruits. Jenny also displayed strong climbing abilities—an essential skill for her survival in the wild.
One particularly amusing incident occurred during Forest School, when Jenny was with her fellow baby orangutans, Esa and Indri. She sneaked up to a friend who was enjoying a piece of papaya and stole it. But her sneaky act didn’t go unnoticed—one of the surrogate mothers caught her red-handed. In a hilarious response, Jenny quickly stuffed the entire piece of papaya into her mouth as if to hide the evidence and feign innocence. Her cheeky behaviour made the surrogate mothers laugh and admire her cleverness.
To this day, Jenny’s health and skills continue to improve. She is growing into a smart, active, and quick-learning young orangutan. With the loving guidance of our dedicated caregivers at Samboja Lestari, Jenny is steadily making her way toward a braver, freer life in her natural habitat.
Text by: Communications Team at Nyaru Menteng, Central Kalimantan
Will you help us rescue, rehabilitate, and release orangutans back to freedom? We can only save the orangutan together. Thank you!
