The orangutan baby Rumba was kept as a pet for a month before coming to the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centre.
In 2022, several young, orphaned orangutans were rescued and moved to the rehabilitation centres Nyaru Menteng and Samboja Lestari. One of them was Rumba, who was less than a year when she arrived at Nyaru Menteng.
This beautiful baby girl was voluntarily handed over by residents of the town Kasongan after she had been kept as a pet for one month. Once Rumba had reached a stable condition, she was placed in the small Forest School group.
Young orangutans, like human children, all have unique characteristics. They can be active, diligent, lazy, or incredibly curious. Rumba is somewhat of a loner who spends most of her time clinging to her animal keeper in Forest School. The only other orangutan she will play with is Iqo, a friend she met during her time in quarantine.
The Forest School is dotted with muddy puddles and this is where Rumba likes to spend a lot of time playing. Apart from her time spent in puddles, Rumba is not very active in Forest School: She usually takes a nap in the hammock the animal keeper sit in while observing the other orangutans playing in the trees. The animal keepers have been forced to give up their hammocks on several occasions so Rumba can take a nap.
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Rumba is also very clingy with the animal keepers. When an animal keeper moves from one position to another, even just to get fruit from the basket, Rumba will cry out, as if afraid of being left behind. Despite being insecure, Rumba is a quick learner. She recently learned to climb trees and eat forest leaves. She is not picky and will eat whatever she gets, especially when the veterinarian gives her bananas and vitamin C.
Rumba is in good health. She is also becoming more active in Forest School. We hope she will continue to grow in confidence and independence, so that she someday can be free to explore the forests of Borneo.
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