Meet a Terrific Trio!
Date Posted: October 6, 2023
Text by: BOS Foundation PRM Team at Camp Nles Mamse, Kehje Sewen ERC, East Kalimantan
Edited by Orangutan Outreach
Do you remember the group of orangutans who the BOS Foundation released into the Kehje Sewen Forest this past May?
Orangutans Andreas, Riana and Leann were among them. After many years of care at the BOS Samboja Lestari Rehabilitation Center, they have now returned to their natural home. You can see an exciting video of their release here: Five more Orangutan Released into Kehje Sewen Forest
The Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team routinely monitors Andreas, Riana and Leann. The teams usually consist of two or three persons who record the daily activities of the orangutans under observation and ensure they are adjusting successfully to their new surroundings.
The trio breaks up (temporarily)
Andreas, Leann, and Riana have all been frequently seen interacting with one another. All three feed on trees' young leaves and the cambium beneath the bark. On one occasion, when Andreas ran from a swarm of wasps who he had disturbed, something unexpected happened. Riana took the opportunity to separate herself from Andreas and Leann. She travelled from one tree to the next until she came across an unknown orangutan. This unknown orangutan, whom the team believed to be an adult male, appeared to be interested in Riana and even shared food with her. The two were also seen to be copulating. Riana eventually moved away from this mysterious ladies’ man and struck off on her own.
In the meantime, Andreas and Leann were still busy exploring the forest and eating & resting together — often in the same nest. Leann was the clear leader of the pair, with Andreas always following her around and imitating her actions.
Read about another lovely orangutan pair here: Love is in the Air for Orangutans Mayer and Elaine
Calling it a day
Young orangutans like Andreas, Leann and Riana spend little time on the ground and travel far distances. On this occasion, their quick travel over the hills of the forest left the PRM team far beyond on the ground below as the sun set. They eventually called it a day in order to return to camp before it got completely dark— and too dangerous to be out in the forest!
Many days passed without the PRM team seeing Andreas, Riana and Leann. Then, one day they came upon several new nests in the area where the orangutans had last been spotted. It became clear that these three orangutans are still adjusting to life in the wild and creating their home ranges. No one ever said it would be easy... but step by step and branch-by-branch, we know they'll make it!
There are still around 400 individual orangutans awaiting release in BOS Nyaru Menteng and BOS Samboja Lestari. Please help us get them back into the wild— where they belong!