In late 2020, the Post-Release Monitoring team in the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest made an important discovery: female orangutan Inung, released eight years prior, had become a mother!
Late last year, the Post-Release Monitoring team in the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest embarked on their usual patrol to monitor orangutans, expecting a usual day, when they found Inung, a female orangutan released eight years prior, with a baby clinging to her body.
One of the best markers of a successful rehabilitation is when a female orangutan who has previously completed the lengthy rehabilitation process gives birth to a baby in the wild and thereby contributes to a new population wild orangutans. That is why it was such a positive surprise when the team found Inung, who had been released eight years prior, together with her new baby.
Read: Released orangutan Signe has given birth to baby in the wild
The baby was named Indie and after the discovery, the team conducted two full days of observations. Inung appeared to have a healthy appetite, and was seen eating a variety of forest foods, including fruits, leaves, and termites. Inung was also seen eating alongside her first born-daughter, Ina, and another mother-child pair, Cindy and Stellar.
The team estimated that Inung must have given birth to Indie between the months of July and October, as Indie was old enough to boldly reach out and touch the branches that mother Inung was dangling on. Indie had also gained the skill of being able to cling to mother Inung’s back. The team has not yet, however, been able to determine the sex of the baby.
Inung and baby Indie both looked to be in good health and appeared to be thriving in the forest. We wish Inung and Indie all the best!
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