Orangutans have been recorded eating over 400 different types of food, which means for mothers, the job of introducing their offspring to all the different food groups is a rather large task. Until they start to forage entirely for themselves, infant orangutans depend on their mother’s milk to sustain them. As they grow older their mother will have them try the fruits and leaves that she browses on, showing them what is good to eat and where to find it. Then at the ages of around 3 and 4, the young orangutans will start to try foraging under the watchful eye of their mother.

In Camp Rasak in the Lamdandau Wildlife Reserve mother and son, Labetty and Leon, are beginning the next step in Leon’s development with independent foraging. Labetty was born in the wild to Lady Di, an orangutan who was released in the Reserve back in February 2006. Now aged 13, Labetty is mother to Leon, who will be turning 3 years old in July this year.

Labetty has been active in showing her son how to forage in the forest. She slowly browses the branches around her for leaves while Leon watches closely, usually in a piggyback position with his arms around his mother’s neck. Our camp staff have observed him starting to imitate his mother’s foraging behaviours. While still clinging to his mother with one hand, the young ape stretches his free arm out to pull leaves off branches, just like his mother.

The pair are frequent visitors to Camp Rasak, which is one of our soft-release camps in the reserve and the release site of Labetty’s mother, Lady Di. They are often seen by camp staff moving to and from camp and the feeding platform in the forest, travelling along the boardwalk between the two sites.

At the feeding site, where we are able to closely observe visiting orangutans’ behaviour and development, our staff have even seen Leon snatching Labetty’s food out of her hands and tasting it himself. It’s hard to keep anything for yourself when you have another pair of eyes watching everything you do!

Labetty has been an example mother to her first-born son. She has shown patience as a teacher in the ways of the rainforest and strength as a protector for her infant. Leon is in good hands, and we can’t wait to see how he continues to progress.