A female orangutan carrying an infant was recently observed in Central Kalimantan. This was no ordinary sighting – the mother was Agis, an orangutan who was released back into the wild in 2018.
Fantastic news has reached us from deep within Borneo’s rainforest. One of the post-monitoring teams that regularly observes the released orangutans recently spotted something as life-affirming as a newborn orangutan baby. The mother is Agis, a female orangutan who was rescued in 2006 after being kept as a pet. In the forest school, she was known for her gentle temperament, adaptability and social nature, and in 2018 she was released into the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park.
The new observations show that the rehabilitation process and release were a great success, to the extent that she has adapted to the wild and become a mother.
A thriving first-time mother
The post-monitoring team was actually following a radio signal from another orangutan when they came across Agis. The team was pleasantly surprised to see her, as she had not been observed for some time. Their joy grew when they realized that she was not alone. Agis was carrying an orangutan infant, estimated to be around 6-8 months old, which is most likely her first offspring. The baby has been named Agus.
Agis was in good physical condition, which is a clear sign that the rehabilitation process and release have been successful. This shows that she is not only capable of surviving but also of reproducing and raising a baby independently in her natural environment.
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Living proof of rehabilitation success
Now 21 years old, Agis lives independently in the forests of Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park equipped with the skills she needs to survive. Seeing her with the infant she is raising on her own shows us that rehabilitated orangutans can adapt, reproduce and reclaim their place in the wild.
Meeting Agis and her infant is also a powerful reminder that every rehabilitation journey can have a real and lasting impact on orangutan conservation. We hope that Agis and her firstborn will continue to grow strong and live long and healthy lives in the forests of Kalimantan.
Related read: Wild orangutan adopting her sister