Rickina and little Ricko have been loving life in their large, forested exhibit in West Kalimantan run by our friends at International Animal Rescue, Indonesia.
Rickina and Ricko cuddling in the canopy
At 37 kg, Rickina has made some great progress over the past six months—she’s finally embracing her climbing skills. With the fruiting season in full swing, she’s spending more time in the trees, especially in leban trees, where she can’t resist the abundance of her favourite wild fruits.
Health checks used to be a challenge, as Rickina wasn’t a fan of the weighing scale, but she’s now surprisingly cooperative—a small but very helpful milestone. Her protective nature over Ricko remains as strong as ever; she never lets him wander far and quickly pulls him back if other orangutans get too close.
Rickina prefers to travel and sometimes explore the forest floor with Ricko rather than socialise with other orangutans. Orangutans are mostly solitary in the wild, so this isn’t unusual behaviour since she now has a baby. Rickina’s foraging skills are improving, however she still receives food from the orangutan keepers. Sweet potatoes, jicama and corn are her absolute favourites. Nest-building isn’t her strong suit yet, but she makes up for it with her enthusiasm for enrichment activities, always eager to engage with puzzles and food challenges. She may not be super social, but she’s never shown any aggression toward others and is always polite when it comes to food— never stealing from the others.
While she still has a long way to go before becoming fully independent, Rickina is making steady progress. With time, patience, and your ongoing support, she’s taking those crucial steps toward a more self-sufficient future in the wild with her little boy Ricko.
