Meki lives on one of the BOS Foundation’s pre-release islands called Kaja Island. Meki and the other orangutans on Kaja Island recently experienced a huge rise in the water levels of the Rungan River.
Several areas in Central Kalimantan were affected by flooding, even in previously dry areas that have never experienced flooding before including the main rehabilitation area in Nyaru Menteng. The island technicians continued to deliver supplementary food to the orangutans twice daily, in the morning and evening. To help the orangutans access the food, the technicians threw it up to them as they waited in the trees around the waterlogged feeding platforms.
The technicians also continued to monitor and collect data on the progress and survival skills of the orangutans on both Kaja and Bangamat Islands. This included Meki, a senior resident of Kaja Island, who is known as a keen explorer. Meki didn’t appear to be that affected by the rise in water levels and continued to thrive up in the canopy. She is in excellent health and has a beautiful, thick coat. Thankfully, the river water levels are now more stable.
Meki is excellent at foraging and consumes quite a lot of wild fruits, tree cambium and young leaves. The technicians have seen Meki hanging around the platform in the mornings. A nearby nest is believed to be hers. Meki’s nests look sturdy and comfortable, and are always situated on the trunks of large, strong trees.
All of these traits make Meki a strong candidate for release in the future. Well done Meki!
