Tag: Orangutan of the Month

Orangutan of the Month for October, 2019: Judy

Let’s talk about Judy! Orphan orangutans who are kept in private households are often placed in situations completely outside of their normal understanding. Judy was one of these as she arrived at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) wearing human clothes. This is something that has happened on more than one occasion when “pet”… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for October, 2019: Judy

Orangutan of the Month for September, 2019: Boncel
Back to the Wild

The release of an orangutan back to the wild is a culmination of many years of hard and dedicated work. It is a profound moment when wild born ex-captive orangutans are finally released and free to live as they choose in the forest. It is not a straight and narrow path and, very, very occasionally,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for September, 2019: Boncel
Back to the Wild

Orangutan of the Month for August 2019: Mumui,
Explorer in the Making

Youth is a time when individuals are trying to find their way through life. It is a time of experimentation, trying new things, and seeing what suits us. Through exploration and challenge, young orangutan Mumui is learning more about herself and her surroundings. In her own way she follows the example of great explorers and… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for August 2019: Mumui,
Explorer in the Making

Orangutan of the Month for June, 2019: Jambul2

What is in a name? Names can be very powerful, reflecting one’s character and identity. Names are associated with family but there is so much more to families than we normally acknowledge. Orangutan families know each other not by names but by other senses such as touch, sound, and smell, all often far beyond our… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for June, 2019: Jambul2

Orangutan of the Month for April, 2019: Tunas

There are many sides to an orangutan’s personality with some characteristics and personality types more prominent then others. There are shy orangutans, adventurous orangutans, and placid orangutans. With some orangutans it’s hard to pinpoint one “type” at all as these orangutans may have many defining traits. Tunas is one of these. She seems to demonstrate… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for April, 2019: Tunas

Orangutan of The Month for Jan, 2019: Jono

Orangutan of the Month: Jono When migrants return to their motherland, are they more at home coming back to their land of origin or are they now more displaced? Humans all over the world grapple with this dissonance but in our search for belonging, we forget that we are not the only unsettled species. Today,… Continue reading Orangutan of The Month for Jan, 2019: Jono

Orangutan of the Month for Dec, 2018: Wendy

Four in the morning and dawn is barely breaking over the Bornean rainforest. All is quiet as the forest and the animals within begin to stir. The rising sun brings with it the caregivers from the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ). It is an exceedingly early start for them. The working day normally begins… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Dec, 2018: Wendy

Hockey’s Special Needs

Hockey’s Special Needs by Allison Leach “Special” is indeed the word that first comes to mind when thinking of the orangutan Hockey.  She came to the OFI Care Center as an orphan, like many other orangutans.  But unfortunately, her sensitive nature, in both spirit and body, left her vulnerable to a crippling stroke suffered before… Continue reading Hockey’s Special Needs

Orangutan of the Month for Nov, 2018: Caca

Caca by Emi Kusayanagi It’s another hot and sunny morning at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) in Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia. At Camp Danielle, the youngest orangutans under the care of Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) staff are out in the Infant Playground and Learning Forest. At the playground, the little orangutans are everywhere,… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Nov, 2018: Caca

Orangutan of the Month for Oct, 2018: Chewey

Chewey – is more than just an intergalactic icon Hermits, it seems, have gone out of vogue. These days socializing is what people are talking about. “It’s good for the brain” they say, “good for the heart.” Similarly to cloistered monks, Kalimantan’s orangutan males remain staunchly solitary. Time has been the best teacher. After thousands… Continue reading Orangutan of the Month for Oct, 2018: Chewey

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Chewey – is more than just an intergalactic icon

Chewey is hanging on tree branches

Hermits, it seems, have gone out of vogue. These days socializing is what people are talking about. “It’s good for the brain” they say, “good for the heart.” Similarly to cloistered monks, Kalimantan’s orangutan males remain staunchly solitary. Time has been the best teacher. After thousands of years of practice, these sentinels of the forest thrive on their solo journeys.

Take Orangutan Foundation International’s (OFI) Chewey for example. This bright spark is a juvenile, and he tears through the forest alone each day, content with letting his friends knock heads a mere five feet away. Chewey’s lack of company does not mean that he doesn’t have social graces. The young orangutan has proven himself time and time again to be curious about other orangutans.

Chewey has what writers of yesteryear would call “an honest face.” His long face, framed by neat gingery hair, always has a pleasant expression. His lurching walk recalls an innocent soul embroiled in intrigue, blameless but enjoying the ride. It is this likeability that draws one to him. Each newcomer, change in weather, and every undiscovered branch or vine is an invitation to play. Merrymaking is serious business to Chewey, his cohorts and whomever might be drawn into his circle that day. Instead of using the familiar knuckled walk of orangutans, Chewey somersaults to his destination. He tackles vine and tree branches in the forest with vigor, climbing intently, and then dropping to the forest floor without warning. He radiates enthusiasm during play.

Ease with all species contributes to making Chewey such an open book. He was brought to OFI’s Care Center and Quarantine at roughly two and a half years of age. He had all the tell-tale signs of being held as a pet in a private home. He arrived dressed in children’s clothes. His diet has consisted, till then, of rice, porridge, milk and bananas. Even then, the young orangutan’s big personality did not fit the diminutive name his captors had given him: Mickey. At OFI, he was christened with the interstellar moniker that we now know him by. Chewey is currently the ideal weight for his age and has been blessed with vigor since his arrival at the Care Center. He graduated easily from the infant nursery into the juvenile residence. His caregivers note how often he seems to be in his own world. Nevertheless, he is courteous to those who approach him, especially if those individuals happen to be female. Yes, Chewey is a ladies’ man. He is direct in his expressions of affection and exudes good times. While men hold little interest for Chewey, he amiably engages with females.

Chewey is hiding among the leaves

Orangutans, like humans, have wonderfully complex personalities. It shouldn’t surprise observers that this tour de force of an orangutan is also a planner. Before Chewey flings his strong, young body into overhead branches, there is always a pause. He approaches a clearing and silently looks up at trees, mentally tracing a path through them. Whatever Chewey does is with purpose.

On one warm, wet March day, Chewy had a big banana leaf in one hand, and a vine in other. Perhaps he meant to use the foliage for shelter from the rain, but he was having too much fun smacking it against a tree. With thunder searing the purple sky above, Chewey took a seat and unfolded the leaf on the forest floor with the concentration of a seasoned dressmaker. The young orangutan folded the frond, chomping a twig between his teeth. He then liberated the twig and scratched it on the leaf, marking it with concentration the way that a designer would mark fabric.

It was only a matter of time that clever Chewey grew emboldened as his size increased. Now he is often seen tussling in jest with his caregiver, Pak Heppy. If he is foiled from approaching females, Chewey will make his annoyance apparent. His friends, one of whom is Steppenwolf, band together at playtime, forming a trio of which Chewey is the clear leader. The other two, with strong personalities of their own, defer to Chewey because of their obvious affection for him. Their trust is not misplaced. Pak Heppy notes that Chewey is starting to approach others of late, initiating play and following his curiosity. As Chewey finds his place in the world, these developments are not just a gift for him, but for us too.

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