Garu – who was born at the pre-release island – is now an independent orangutan who cares for her mother and little sister. All three were recently observed in the rainforest.
Our Indonesian partner BOS Foundation does regular post-release monitoring rounds out in the rainforest to make sure the released orangutans are doing well. It is a very special experience to encounter both recently released orangutans as well as those who have already adapted to life in the wild.
A post-release monitoring team recently spotted two orangutans eating fruit in a tree near a river in the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest. Initially, they could not recognize the orangutans, but as they got closer, it turned out to be female orangutans Gadis and Garu. A closer look also revealed a third orangutan: little baby Galaxy.
Garu is also Gadis’ daughter and they were both released in November 2012. Garu was born at a pre-release island on December 15, 2009.
Now-a-days, Garu is an independent orangutan who goes on her own adventures in the forest. Mother Gadis, on the other hand, has given birth to yet another baby – little Galaxy, who was born earlier this year.
Mother Gadis with little Galaxy
The post-monitoring team observed the orangutan trio for two whole days. Garu clearly showed how protective she was, looking after her family. If the team got too close, Garu started throwing small branches after them.
Garu did, however, venture off into the forest on her own during the time the monitoring team was there to observe them. She returned later with food for both her mother and her sister. In the evening, Garu built a nest about 40 meters away from her mother’s nest.
It was clear that Garu has turned into an independent orangutan, although, she has a strong and affectionate bond with both her mother and little sister.
