HOPE YOU GROWING UP WELL, AYU!

Ayu is a young orangutan who was born in the Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan, to  mother Lesan, a rehabilitated orangutan who was released to the wild 10 years ago.

Lesan was released in the forest together with Hamzah, a male orangutan. After roaming free for about four years, she gave birth to Ayu. Our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team from Lesik Camp, in the Kehje Sewen Forest, frequently saw Lesan and Hamzah together; thus, it was thought that Hamzah fathered Ayu.

Ayu is still with mother Lesan and not yet living independently in the forest. This is normal for baby orangutans born in the wild, who will stay with their mothers until around the age of seven years. 

Ayu is still gaining knowledge from Lesan and will follow her wherever she goes. If Lesan moves off for a moment, Ayu will cry out in despair. This is a clear sign that she is not ready to live alone in the forest. Ayu has also been observed seeking comfort from Hamzah, who often refuses to give her attention.

Last month, our PRM team saw Ayu bravely moving away some distance from Lesan. She left Lesan alone; but Lesan seemed a bit hesitant and hung around, as though worried that Ayu was still not ready to live independently.

We hope Ayu continues to grow well and can build up the confidence to face the forest on her own. The forest has so much to offer her - a place of protection, filled with a wide variety of natural foods!