Ex-captive orangutan Acuy was introduced to the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve around 15 years ago and has left a lasting legacy by becoming a grandmother:
2006- As a nine-year-old, Acuy was introduced into the protected forest and quickly established herself as a regular with our field team. She seemed to be as confident interacting with other wild orangutans as she was seeing our staff on her visits to Camp Rasak.
2007- A year after being released into the Reserve, Acuy gave birth to her first offspring, Amina. Like most orangutan mothers, the bond between Acuy and her infant was very strong and Amina soon learnt the ways of the forest by watching her mother climb, build a nest, and search for fruiting trees.
2015- Acuy was an excellent teacher, and Amina mastered the essential forest skills to become fully independent, paving the way for Acuy to raise another infant- Ariel. It’s always good news to welcome an orangutan’s second offspring, and our staff were confident that Acuy’s mothering instincts would be as strong for Ariel as they were for Amina.
2019- Our field team were delighted when they discovered that Amina was seen to be pregnant, and waited with anticipation for her to give birth to her first infant, Albie. To observe four orangutans across three generations is a true testament to Acuy’s successful transition from ex-captive to a grandmother, and we were thrilled to see her family continue to grow.
Left: Acuy pictured with her infant Amina in 2013. Right: Amina gives birth to Albie in 2019.
Both of Acuy’s births happened a stone’s throw away from Camp Rasak, and her familiarity with camp and our team has given us a genuine insight into the natural behaviour and relationship between her and her offspring. During regular monitoring in the field, a member of our team noticed that two of Acuy’s left toes were badly injured- perhaps from an altercation with another orangutan or wild boar. Left untreated, the wound could have been at risk of infection, so for Acuy’s safety, our vet was called in.
With Ariel by her side, Acuy spent the next two weeks at camp being cared for by our team. Ensuring that she received antibiotics and regular antiseptic treatment, our field team were soon able to see that the wound had healed and therefore released Acuy and Ariel back into the forest where they belong.
Through our work in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, we try and intervene with wild and reintroduced orangutans as little as possible to allow their natural behaviour to develop organically. Occasionally instances do arise when our monitoring and veterinary teams must reach out a helping hand, but as with Acuy, this would not be at all possible were it not for the placid nature and demeanour of this gentle great ape.
