Do you remember the story of Temon and Lahei, the duo who once disappeared from Forest School? These little adventurers have returned with another astonishing chapter. Unlike most of their peers, they completed their Forest School lessons much faster than expected and advanced to the pre-release stage long before other orangutans their age.
Most orangutans only enter the pre-release stage as the final step before returning to the wild, between the ages of eight and ten. By then, they are considered ready, equipped with the survival skills necessary to live in their natural habitat. Some even take longer to reach that point.
Read also: TEMON AND LAHEI DISAPPEAR!
But Temon and Lahei weren’t about to wait that long. At just five and six years old, they astonished their surrogate mothers and our animal welfare team. They proved that readiness and independence aren’t measured by age, but by instinct, courage, and the natural brilliance they carried within.
Temon, rescued in mid-2022, immediately showed she was born for the forest. Her tiny fingers grasped branches with confidence, her nose twitched at the scent of ripe fruit, and her ears stayed alert to the sounds around her. Even during quarantine, she was already building cozy, sturdy nests. Fiercely independent, she would still seek a warm cuddle from her surrogate mothers before vanishing into the canopy once again.
Read also: TEMON OVERCOMING HER TRAUMA
A few months later, Lahei arrived, weighing just 4.45 kilograms. From the very start, he bonded closely with Temon, and the two became inseparable. In the Nursery Group, they grew, learned, and played side by side by leaping through the trees like twin sparks of energy that never faded.
Lahei
Temon
Their inseparable adventures soon led to a startling twist: one day, Temon and Lahei vanished. For ten long days, their surrogate mothers and technicians searched anxiously, fearing for their safety. After all, they were still so young, new to the forest, and unaccustomed to the threats of the wild. But those fears turned out to be unfounded. When the pair was finally found, they were healthy, calm, and seemingly untroubled, though a little scruffy and cautious. For ten days, they had been embraced by the forest itself.
That disappearance became a turning point in their rehabilitation journey. Temon and Lahei weren’t just maturing faster than expected. They were redefining what it meant to be “ready.” In July 2025, they were officially transferred from Forest School to the pre-release stage on Kaja Island.
Read also: MAMA JOSIE'S JOURNEY AS A MOTHER IN THE PRE-RELEASE ISLAND
Lahei made the trip without sedation, while Temon was briefly anesthetized to receive a three-year contraceptive implant. Once released, both wasted no time climbing high into the canopy. Observers even spotted them sharing fruit with Fanny, another island resident, before slipping back into the treetops.
By the end of July, Temon and Lahei had naturally gone their separate ways, settling into different parts of the island. Yet both adapted beautifully, building nests, foraging on their own, and exploring their new home with curiosity and confidence.
Temon and Lahei have shown sharp instincts, an unbreakable bond, and remarkable courage. As they step deeper into the pre-release stage, they carry more than survival skills. They embody freedom, instinct, and the spirit of the wild. They remind us all that readiness isn’t defined by years, but by natural ability and the powerful will to live free.
Thanks to your support, young orangutans like Temon and Lahei now have a golden chance to reclaim their wild future. Every step they take in the forest is living proof of your care.
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