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BOS Foundation: Meet Klaus, the Playful Climber

Text by: Samboja Lestari Communication Team, East Kalimantan

January 25, 2021 — It is always exhilarating to follow the progress of young orangutans who enter our rehabilitation centre, with each individual living out their own unique story. Klaus is a male orangutan who was rescued by a joint team from the East Kalimantan BKSDA (the Indonesian government’s Natural Resource Conservation Agency) and the BOS Foundation’s Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre two years ago. After graduating from Nursery group, he became a member of Forest School Group 1.

Klaus is now six years old and is an enthusiastic student who loves to learn directly in the forest. At first, it was very difficult for our technicians to approach Klaus because he once bit a technician when he perceived him to be a threat. However, as time has gone by, Klaus has become more receptive to the technicians that are teaching him important life skills.

Klaus’s ability to adapt to new environments has helped him turn into an avid and quick learner in Forest School. He is now an active climber who will break tree branches to construct nests high up in the canopy. Klaus is not a picky eater and will readily eat forest seeds and occasionally the cambium beneath tree bark. Like many of us, sweet are still his favorite however, as he has made his preference for bananas and watermelon very clear.

Klaus interacts well with other orangutans and particularly enjoys playing with Ames and Catherine. A babysitter once witnessed him and Ames biting each other playfully up in a tree, making nests, and eating leaves together. When Forest School ends, Klaus is usually so absorbed in his activities that he is often the last to climb down from the trees.

Klaus

Dennis (left) and Klaus (right)

While Klaus is becoming known for his excellent climbing skills, he is also getting a name for himself as a nosey individual! On one occasion he was bitten on the finger by Shelton, who was upset when Klaus was targeting him in a fruit heist! Shelton, a normally peaceful character who is blind and usually quiet, is often on the receiving end of pranks by other orangutans. His angry outbursts are a form of self-defense and teach young orangutans an important lesson in how to socialize appropriately. While Klaus’s pride cannot be repaired, our veterinary team made sure his finger fully healed!

It is thanks to his unique personality, that Klaus receives a lot of attention from our technicians in Forest School. His thirst for learning and trying new things combined with his ability to mingle with other orangutans, assures us that Klaus will have a bright future in the forest someday!

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