Rahayu is now on Pulau Besar Island with 15 other orangutans. Rahayu has had progress in finding food by herself, although she still depends a bit on the food provided by the keepers. She really likes to socialize with other orangutans, especially with males. She is quite independent, not always close to the animal keepers but also not aggressive while near them. That is a very positive behavioural pattern for reintroduction.
Unfortunately, Rahayu is still struggling to build a good nest on her own, although she has shown a lot of creativity. Even though she is not able to make her own nest from scratch, she is able to repair and modify the old nests built by other orangutans. Rahayu continues to show good foraging skills in finding a variety of wild forest foods including fruits, flowers and termites.
It is wonderful to see Rahayu doing so well on Pulau Besar Island and that she has the freedom to explore and forage during the COVID-19 pandemic which has greatly impacted orangutans in care centres across Indonesia. Well done Rayahu!
