Ready for release

During the past few months Ramadhani has been exploring the rainforest school. She searched for branches and greenery in the treetops to build her nests there. She also foraged for food and tried tasting various fruits, flowers, and young leaves. These are all important things that orangutans need to learn before they are ready for life in the open rainforest. Ramadhani is now 9 years old and finally mature enough to be released.

Handed in as a baby

Ramadhani came to our orangutan Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre on Sumatra on the 1st of June 2016. The person who brought her claimed to have found Ramadhani on the side of the road. However, it is more likely that the mother was killed, and little Ramadhani was kept as a pet. In her first month, she was cared for round the clock by the nursing staff because she was still a baby. When she arrived, she weighed just two kilos. To help her regain her strength quickly, the team fed her various fruits and vegetables as well as special cereals for young orangutans. It was great to see that Ramadhani was already very independent at the time. During the first few weeks at the Centre, it was already clear that she enjoyed climbing.

Self-confident loner

Ramadhani’s character soon became apparent. The self-confident climber prefers to develop her skills alone without any other orangutans nearby. As soon as she went to the rainforest school, Ramadhani was the first one up the in trees and she deliberately avoided the other pupils. She was always peaceful and friendly and was seen as a leader by the others. But she made it clear to them: ‘I’m doing this on my own! I don’t need anyone!’

Rainforest school for advanced learners

Because Ramadhani has developed so well over the last years and because she is exhibiting the desired behaviour, we have transferred her to our reintroduction station in Jantho in the north of Sumatra. She is currently in a spacious enclosure with other young orangutans who are also ready to take the step into the great outdoors. Together with them, she is attending the ‘rainforest school for advanced learners’, to train the vital skills for survival in the rainforest before she can finally be released into the wild. In the video, you can see Ramadhanis being prepared for transport to the Reintroduction Centre in Jantho.

A sponsored orangutan

Ramadhani has been in our sponsorship programme since she was one year old and has received a great deal of support over the years from her sponsors, who are mainly based in Switzerland. We would like to take this opportunity to thank these people for the loyalty and attention they have given this remarkable female orangutan!