Tag: OOTM

Orangutan of the Month for March 2017: Lumley

Without a doubt my favorite time of each day at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) is seeing the orphaned orangutans climbing and swinging in the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) Learning Forest in Borneo. Seeing these magnificent creatures in the trees, where they belong, is something to look forward to every day.  The infant… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for March 2017: Lumley

Orangutan of the Month for Feb 2017: Penelope Cruz

Sitting in the nursery forest at OFI’s Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine, I scan the treetops unsuccessfully for “Penelope Cruz”- not the famous female actor, but rather the orangutan I am here to observe. Suddenly, a passing tree branch slaps me in the face. I look up to see Penelope pass me without a backward… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Feb 2017: Penelope Cruz

Radiant Ray

To look at Ray is to look at a vision of tranquility. He radiates serenity in the midst of the seemingly frenzied orangutan infant playground at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine in Pasir Panjang, Kalimantan. Ray is only an infant, and yet he seems wise beyond his years. Often when I am sitting and… Continue reading Radiant Ray

Observe the World with Yosuke

Each and every orangutan at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Kalimantan has an individual personality that distinguishes them from their peers. Choosing just one orangutan to feature as each month’s “Orangutan of the Month” can often be a taxing endeavor as the OCCQ oranugtans all stand apart and are all unique. But… Continue reading Observe the World with Yosuke

Orangutan of the Month for Jan 2017: Unique Monroe

“Monroe” is unlike any other orangutan that I have met at the Orangutan Foundation International’s (OFI) Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Pasir Panjang, Central Indonesian Borneo. Although still a juvenile, Monroe has already developed a sparkling personality and a quirkiness that is unique among her peers. Monroe marches to the beat of her own… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Jan 2017: Unique Monroe

Orangutan of The Month for Dec 2016: Charming Valentino

Infant orangutan Valentino arrived at OFI’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) on the day that gave him his name: February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Like most of the orangutans arriving at the Care Center, his backstory is a blur. But we do know that a man found the timid and helpless orphaned Valentino in a… Continue reading Orangutan of The Month for Dec 2016: Charming Valentino

Orangutan of the Month: Majestic Morrison

The trees rustle and sway as juvenile orangutan Morrison swings gracefully through the Orangutan Foundation International’s Nursery Forest in Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Here she loves to spend her days climbing and foraging in the forest. While in the canopy, Morrison takes her time to stop and eat some fruit or survey the forest below… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month: Majestic Morrison

The Adventures Of Albin

Albin is an orangutan after my own heart, one who possesses a very adventurous spirit. A self-assured young juvenile orangutan, he is beginning to showcase his independence. My first intimate interaction with Albin occurred one day during daily release. I was standing, observing when I suddenly felt a foot touch my shoulder. I looked up… Continue reading The Adventures Of Albin

Abraham: Catching Up!

Abraham is a very calm and serious orangutan. His demeanor is contemplative and slow. His movements are purposeful, deliberate, and quiet. He is small for an orangutan his age. However, thanks to our special caregiver and veterinary teams at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia, Abraham has been steadily growing… Continue reading Abraham: Catching Up!

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 14333 [post_author] => 10287 [post_date] => 2015-11-03 12:44:01 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-11-03 19:44:01 [post_content] => 2015-10-22_CampRendell_AbrahamandMrDender_REL_wmAbraham is a very calm and serious orangutan. His demeanor is contemplative and slow. His movements are purposeful, deliberate, and quiet. He is small for an orangutan his age. However, thanks to our special caregiver and veterinary teams at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia, Abraham has been steadily growing over the last six months. Abraham’s story is typical of many of the orphans that come into the OCCQ. He arrived at a very young age, estimated at approximately 3 months. Abraham came in a state of malnutrition and therefore was smaller than most orangutans his age. He probably had been in captivity for most of his short life and therefore deprived of his mother’s sweet milk during a crucial part of his early growth. During his time at the nursery facility at OCCQ, Abraham developed slowly and remained relatively small. 2015-10-22_CampRendell_AbrahamandLadyGilbert_REL_wmAs he grew, Abraham developed lasting friendships with two female orangutans his age; “Lady Gilbert” (named after one of OFI’s former board members) and “Kent”. These two females were also smaller than others in their group.The close relationship formed among these three orangutans lasts to this day. The three currently share a sleeping enclosure at one of our external forest camps in the Pasir Panjang Village forest. The trio spend all of their time together,both in the forest and at night in their sleeping enclosure. Lady Gilbert has now since grown to be average size for an orangutan her age and is passing into adolescence. It appears that Lady Gilbert has taken on the role of Abraham's adopted mother. Abraham closely follows Lady Gilbert in the forest, often climbing tree behind her. If frightened Abraham will run to her for comfort, exactly as a wild infant would do to his/her mother in the wild. Kent is also intimately close with her two friends, often seen wrestling, playing, and even sharing food with them. As orangutans grow into juvenilehood, they are separated by gender at OCCQ. Due to the fact that males grow much larger than females of the same age, males will try to dominate females, sometimes aggressively. When the time came to separate Abraham from his two female friends and move him to an all male sleeping enclosure, an unexpected situation arose. Lady Gilbert’s behavior changed and she became inexplicably ill. Veterinary staff described her behavior as lethargic and sad. Her low grade fever would not go away. Caregivers suggested that returning Abraham to his previous sleeping enclosure with Lady Gilbert and Kent might solve the problem. As soon as the staff were able to bring Abraham back to his friends, Lady Gilbert’s illness disappeared and she quickly returned to her normal self! Obviously a bond between orangutans may be so strong that their health and happiness depends on it. Thus, Abraham and his female friends remain together. We recognize that the care needed during the rehabilitation process comes in different forms.Often friendships formed between orangutans can be just as important as those between caregivers and their orangutan charges. In fact, Lady Gilbert and Kent may be providing Abraham something that we humans can’t. 2015-10-22_CampRendell_Abraham_REL_wm Orphaned orangutans are removed from their natural state in the wild where they receive important nutrients from their mother’s milk. They also are traumatized by the loss of their mothers and the loss of the constant close contact which is a hallmark of wild orangutan development. OFI does its best to give orphans the nutrients and care that they need but some suffer more than others. A special program for orangutans who require extra attention outside of general needs is a significant part of OFI’s ongoing care These orangutans often receive extra attention and are also given extra nutrition. Malnutrition can manifest itself in many ways. Some orangutans are thin, may have less hair, exhibit dry skin,or display other visual cues suggestive of ill health. Abraham’s small size may have been an indicator of some malnutritional issues. Our team has worked hard to find Abraham the extra supplements that are helping him catch up to some of the other orangutans his age. In the last year our staff,veterinary and otherwise,have found that a mix of extra porridge, soy milk, and liquid protein in the form of VipAlbumin has been giving Abraham what he needs!2015-10-22_CampRendell_Abraham_REL_006_wm The proof is in the scales. Abraham has gained weight over the last six months. He has become bigger and stronger with an increased appetite. As always,he goes into the forest with Kent and Lady Gilbert. He can often be seen playing vigorously with them between bouts of foraging for termites , an excellent source of wild protein. OFI’s special care team will continue to monitor Abraham’s improving development over the coming months. We look forward to the day when Abraham, Kent, and Lady Gilbert can return to the wild and live their lives together in the forest, should they choose. [post_title] => Abraham: Catching Up! [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => abraham-catching-up [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-21 20:35:41 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-22 04:35:41 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://orangutan.org/?p=14333 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 4 [filter] => raw )