Category: Stories

Orangutan of the Month: Maxine

Maxine is one of the most clever orangutans I have met at the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ). One would guess that her favourite enrichment item would be a complex puzzle feeder or an intricately wrapped parcel of leaves but Maxine prefers a simple burlap sack. While other orangutans often rip apart burlap sacks,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Maxine

Waiter, there is a bird nest in my soup!

Bird’s nest soup is a Chinese delicacy that has been consumed for thousands of years dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907).   Bird nests, believed to have medicinal properties, were collected from cliff-side caverns to use as an ingredient for soup, tonics, and other elixirs.  Because the collection of nests was a difficult… Continue reading Waiter, there is a bird nest in my soup!

Orangutan of the Month: Uttuh

I have chosen Uttuh (pronounced “oo-too”) to be Orangutan of the Month for one simple reason: her eyes. Really they are little different from the eyes of any other infant orangutan at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) except for dazzling white rings that circle her irises. Her eyes are absolutely stunning. So is… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Uttuh

OFI’s own Enrichment Coordinator presents in Oregon

OFI at the International Conference for Environmental Enrichment This August OFI was proud to participate in the 10th International Conference for Environmental Enrichment (ICEE) hosted by the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon National Primate Research Center in Portland, Oregon.  Organized by The Shape of Enrichment, ICEE is an annual conference where individuals and organizations from… Continue reading OFI’s own Enrichment Coordinator presents in Oregon

Orangutan of the Month: Boy

Boy Oh boy! At approximately 140 kilograms (300 pounds), Boy is definitely the “big man” at OFI’s Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ). Not much of Boy’s history is known but his fully developed cheek pads tell us that he is at least 20 years old. Male Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) demonstrate arrested development; they… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Boy

Orangutan of the Month: Luna

I am so pleased that I was able to choose Luna as my first Orangutan of the Month. Luna is a very small, one-year-old orangutan who looks more like a newborn infant but with teeth! Luna first came to OFI’s Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ) in June. She was confiscated by the Forestry’s Department of… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Luna

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5766 [post_author] => 10306 [post_date] => 2011-08-11 12:14:37 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-11 12:14:37 [post_content] => Luna looking at camera I am so pleased that I was able to choose Luna as my first Orangutan of the Month. Luna is a very small, one-year-old orangutan who looks more like a newborn infant but with teeth! Luna first came to OFI's Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ) in June. She was confiscated by the Forestry's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources from a palm oil plantation worker who was keeping her as a pet. Most likely, her mother was killed while in the plantation looking for food. Luna did not receive adequate nutrition resulting in stunted growth. She will likely always be smaller than orangutans her own age. She also likely suffered long-lasting emotional damage from the improper care she was given. Upon arrival at the OCCQ, Luna started receiving proper care and nutrition and has begun to flourish and grow - but she still has a long way to go. I first met Luna at a playground near the nursery where the infant orangutans build strength, hone coordination, and improve climbing skills. I was surprised to notice that Luna had climbed to the very top of the structure and was the highest of all the youngsters! Her body is about half the size of the other infant orangutans so it did not take long for little Luna to tire from her excursion. While the other infant orangutans continued with their play, Luna was soon sound asleep in the arms of her caregiver. Luna, orangutan of the month. Luna spends most of her days at the nursery sleeping. Because she is so small, she does not have the energy that the other infant orangutans have. When the little ones are taken out to the forest, Luna usually goes along in a sling so she can sleep while her caregivers have their hands free for the other infants who require a lot of attention. On rainy days, she is wrapped in a blanket or sarong to keep her warm because she doesn't have much hair or body fat. Most days she wakes only for her bottle of milk and a few rambutans and is quickly off to sleep again. Almost as soon as Luna falls asleep, she enters the deep sleep where rapid eye movement (REM) occurs. REM sleep is indicative of dreaming. As Luna sleeps on my chest, I wonder if she is dreaming about growing big and strong so she can return to the forest someday. Or perhaps she is dreaming of being back in her mother's arms. Who knows? The important thing is that she is warm and safe and able to dream. Luna the orangutan climbing. Luna climbing on a beam When Luna is awake, she is very alert and very aware of her surroundings. She doesn't make much noise except for the occasional squeak when she thinks that she might be slipping from her caregiver's grip or lip-smacking noises when she eats a treat of rice. Loud noises often startle her. She is not particularly fond of thunderstorms; she twitches and jumps awake during ground-shaking booms and cracks of thunder. Since part of her rehabilitation is for her to learn to do things on her own, she is sometimes placed in a laundry basket with blankets, stuffed animals, a bottle of milk, and some fruit so she can get what she needs herself. If she is feeling adventurous, she will climb out of the basket to have a look around, and when she has had enough, she climbs back down to the basket for a nap. Luna sleeping Luna sleeping again Luna holds a special place in the hearts of staff and volunteers (including me). She receives medication daily under the watchful eyes of Dr. Prima and Dr. Popo, OFI's veterinary staff, who closely monitor her progress. Her sweet, gentle face holds the promise of a bright future. Luna has a lot of catching up to do to but for now she has what she needs: a warm bottle of milk; a safe place to sleep; the chance to grow; and most importantly, love. You can help Luna and other orangutans like her by fostering an orangutan. Luna drinking milk Luna the orangutan in a basket [post_title] => Orangutan of the Month: Luna [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => orangutan-of-the-month-luna [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-09-28 22:45:17 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-09-29 05:45:17 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.orangutan.org/?p=5766 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 20 [filter] => raw )