After a long hiatus, Jungle School recommenced at our Bornean Orangutan Rescue Alliance (BORA) rescue centre in November 2020. The staff were concerned that the young orangutans may have lost their desire and confidence to return to Jungle School but there was nothing to worry about. The youngsters embraced being back at Jungle School, climbing and playing with each other in the canopy.
Mary excels and enjoys being out at Jungle School. When Mary was rescued from a dirty backyard cage she showed nest building skills and was quite wild, indicating she had probably only recently been cruelly taken from her mother. Mary is quite small and light, making it easier to use all levels of the canopy and sway on small, flexible branches. She is always on the move at Jungle School.
Recently, Mary has been spending time in the forest with Happi. The two of them will play in the canopy together. Sometimes they can be seen moving quickly to get to another tree and other times they are seen waiting for the other one to catch up.
The medical team have added Vitamin C to Mary’s diet to help her immune system since she has been prone to getting colds, especially in the rainy season. The orangutans are also given worming medicine when needed.
Overall, Mary prefers to be alone and is confident to explore the forest by herself. The orangutan keepers have to watch her very carefully at Jungle School since she is fast and could quite easily become lost. It is wonderful that Mary has such confidence and independence in the forest and the other orangutans will be able to observe and learn many skills from her. Well done Mary!
