BOS Samboja: A Favorite Fruit Among Orangutans
Text by: PRM team in Nles Mamse Camp, Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan
February 8, 2021 — A rehabilitated orangutan is considered ready for release in a wild environment after working through all the stages of rehabilitation and successfully acquiring the required survival skills. Once orangutans are released to roam free in the forest, one of the first skills they will put to the test are their foraging skills as they encounter a wide variety of naturals foods just waiting to be savored!
Orangutansconsume various types of forest food, including tree bark, plant piths, honey, young leaves, protein-rich termites and, of course, native fruits. Orangutans eat a lot of fruit, and one of their favorites is Anthocephalus fruit, locally known as jabon fruit.
There are various kinds of Anthocephalus fruit; among them is the Anthocephalus chinensis, with trees that can grow up to 45 meters tall.
Anthocephalus chinensis fruit
Jabon fruit is a favorite of Justin’s, an orangutan we released in the Kehje Sewen Forest in 2017. Our Post-Release Monitoring team from Nles Mamse Camp recently observed Justin feasting on jabon fruits. He looked very hungry and was eating heartily.
Justin
Jabon trees do not bear fruit all year round. However, during the fruiting season, orangutans will certainly feast on this fruit, since it is found in abundance throughout the forest!
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