With big inquisitive eyes and a playful, yet gentle, nature, Tommy is slowly maturing into a good-natured orangutan. A sociable fellow, Tommy loves the company of others. When on daily release in the forest, Tommy sticks with the group and does not wander off on his own. Tommy prefers the company of his friends in the same age range with whom he also shares a sleeping enclosure. He never gets tired of his friends and prefers to stay close to them rather than venturing out to play with older orangutans.
He particularly likes to play with his buddies Steppenwolf, Weyerhauser, and Turner when on daily release. The four can be found tumbling around together through the trees or at the “baby” playground. A keen forager, Tommy loves to spend time intently looking for food as well as playing in the forest. His favourite foods include ‘Merang’, a local wild tree growing fruit somewhat similar to kiwi, as well as ‘kalakai’ leaves and ‘kosa’ grass. Merang trees in the forest often reach up to one hundred feet into the canopy and the fruit is a favorite of wild orangutans.
Tommy likes to climb high up into the forest canopy. As the day progresses, he will sometimes make himself a day nest for relaxation. When he is not foraging or playing on daily release, Tommy is seeking out water. Many orangutans at the Care Centre love to play in the swamp and Tommy is no exception. When it rains, he loves splashing about in the puddles and getting covered in mud as much as he can.
Whilst he may be sociable when it comes to play time, Tommy becomes a bit of a recluse when it’s meal time. During his afternoon feeding, he patiently waits his turn to be offered fruit or milk. He is gentle and does not grab at food or at his caregivers. Once he has his fruit in hand, he is off, swinging as high up as he can go in his sleeping enclosure, to eat in peace. Here he can take his time to savour his snack. Once finished eating, he swings down once more to join the others in line for more.
As he continues to mature, Tommy will hopefully become more independent on daily release and continue to refine his foraging and forest skills. But right now he is a lovely, bouncing infant with sweet, soulful eyes and a disposition that makes him easy to love.