At the end of 2024, Baimah and Feruza finally advanced to Forest School Level 1. Their journey to this new stage began with an adaptation process full of challenges. Upon arriving at the Forest School Level 1 night enclosure, Baimah appeared very frightened, while Feruza seemed more confident. When transferred, Baimah was so scared that she trembled and cried. Feruza patiently helped Baimah gain the courage to socialize, especially with Ruby, who was in the same enclosure as them.
Initially, Baimah clung tightly to her surrogate mother. However, after some time, she began to explore her new home with Feruza. Feruza continuously encouraged her to play and interact with Ruby. Even Ecky and Frank, two orangutans in the adjacent enclosure, were curious and tried to engage with them. After two days of adaptation, Baimah became more courageous and no longer appeared fearful, allowing her and Feruza to be moved to the forest school area. In this new environment, they became more active and happy due to having more space to play.
Following Baimah and Feruza, Galaksi and Otan were also transferred to Forest School Level 1 in early 2025. Unlike Baimah’s experience, Galaksi and Otan adapted quickly. Otan immediately approached Feruza and Baimah, while Galaksi seemed more interested in interacting with Ecky and Frank. Galaksi required only one day to adjust before finally joining the learning activities in the forest.
The presence of Baimah, Feruza, Galaksi, and Otan had a positive impact on Ruby, who previously tended to be solitary. Now, Ruby has become more confident and dares to play farther and interact more actively with her peers.
The adaptation and development of orangutans in Forest School are monitored using an ethogram. This assessment focuses on eight primary orangutan activities, including movement, natural food types, nest types, locomotion, feeding, resting, and both positive and negative social behaviors. The results show that changes in the daily activities of orangutans in Forest School are now more measurable and demonstrate improvement. Ecky, who previously consumed only 13 types of natural food, has now increased to 17. Meanwhile, Baimah and Feruza consume between 13 to 14 types of natural food, and Ruby, who previously only consumed 3 to 4 types of food, has now learned to recognize and eat 8 different types.
Overall, this observation highlights the positive development in the socialization and adaptation of orangutans in Forest School Level 1. The presence of new friends like Baimah, Feruza, Galaksi, and Otan not only helped Ruby become more confident but also enriched their experiences and survival skills in a more natural environment.
Text by: Communications Team at Samboja Lestari, East Kalimantan
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