Throughout our soft-release programme, the rescued, orphaned orangutans acquire many important skills as they learn to grasp the workings of life in the forest. These young orangutans must learn the essential skills of how to forage for food, climb trees, and build nests, as well as become familiar with their forest habitat and all that it encompasses.

In the soft-release programme, infant orangutans learn a lot individually but are always observed by our camp staff. As the orangutans start to grow up, they begin to learn more by watching how other orangutans behave in the wild - imitation is one of the quickest ways for orangutans to learn. This is how Mona, an eight-year-old female orangutan at Camp JL in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, continues to progress as she refines her skills by observing and copying other orangutans around her.

In 2017, Mona was rescued from life as an illegal pet when she was only two-years-old and was handed over to BKSDA who then entrusted her to us. She joined our soft-release programme at Camp JL and has since been learning the essential forest skills needed to survive in the wild. One of the hardest skills for any young orangutan is the ability to build a nest and Mona has successfully managed to learn how to construct them, even though they are not quite perfect. When she stays in the forest, she builds herself a nest to rest and sleep in and has begun to stay in the forest for longer periods, sometimes staying overnight for two days at a time.

Mona visits the forest every day. Occasionally on her way to the forest, she takes her time picking up food on the ground, such as young leaves or flowers, for her to chew on. She loves to explore and actively moves from one tree to another. Mona’s survival skills have significantly improved thanks to her highly curious nature and she is never afraid to try different foods she comes across. Not only does Mona pay close attention to what the other orangutans do but also what the other orangutan eat and is often interested in tasting what they are snacking on.  It is encouraging that Mona is increasingly the range of food that she eats and is developing the ability to recognise potential foods - young leaves and “medang” fruit are commonly eaten.

Recently, Mona was in the forest and started playing with four-year-old Marsha, daughter of ex-captive orangutan Mores. She also followed them when they left, observing what they did and then attempted to copy their actions. Mona also likes to follow six-year-old Dublin, son of ex-captive Dedek. When Mona follows the wild orangutans, camp staff make sure to monitor her attentively. They even mentioned that Mona would sometimes cry if the orangutan she was following left her behind when they ventured further into the forest.

Through imitation, Mona has also learnt how to use tools. A couple of months ago, she observed a staff member using a wrench to open her night enclosure door. When the wrench was left near her enclosure, she attempted to copy the behaviour and open the door herself. After several attempts, she successfully managed to open it! This shows how intelligent Mona is becoming and demonstrates orangutans’ intelligence through their problem-solving abilities and their capacity for tool use.

We are very proud to witness Mona’s development. We hope she will continue to master her vital forest skills so she can soon be ready to be released into the protected rainforest of Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and live her new life as a wild orangutan.