BOSF Forest School: Malika and the Very Strange Noise
Text by: BOS Foundation Communication Team in Nyaru Menteng
December 17, 2020 — Each orangutan, much like their human relatives, has their own unique personality. Some are friendly and have a playful character, while others are more serious or aloof and like to be left alone. Malika, a 5-year-old Forest School student at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Central Kalimantan, is a bit of a loner.
On most days, Malika will spend time on her own engrossed in a task, while her peers from Group 4 are off doing other things. This was also the case last year, when she was still in Group 3.
One day, Malika was minding her own business near a rotting tree trunk, plucking and tasting some leaves when something caught her attention. She stopped eating, got up, and approached a tree, leaving behind the leaves she was chewing. Malika grabbed a twig and tapped it a few times against the rotten tree trunk. Then, rather comically, she quickly hugged herself and moved away from the tree.
But, her curiosity soon overcame her fear, and she returned to the trunk to tap it again, this time a bit more cautiously. Suddenly, a humming sound could be heard coming from the rotting trunk, which had holes in it the size of marbles. Malika gave only a slight reaction, as though she was weighing up potential risks.
Again, Malika tapped away at the tree. It was obvious that she was intrigued by the sound. She tapped the tree repeatedly, and soon we could see what all the fuss was about: disturbed by the tapping, a large beetle flew out of the trunk! The mystery of the strange humming that had caught Malika's attention was finally solved. Malika watched the beetle escape and fly away, then she returned to her earlier activity, chewing leaves!
Although Malika is somewhat of a loner, she is still one of the most curious members of Group 4. We hope that the experiences she has on her own will help to further develop her survival skills and natural behaviors, so she can someday be released to the wild.
Keep up the great work, Malika!
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