Kobe has not let us down in terms of her development over the past six months. She was already an amazing climber but continues to become even more confident in the trees. She has also become increasingly interested in plants and other forest life closer to the ground.

During forest school Kobe often hurries up into the trees to enjoy a good swing in the forest canopy. Her co-ordination and climbing skills are amazing. She effortlessly moves around from vines to branches, as if she weighs nothing. She seems to have a perfect mental map of every piece of ‘forest furniture” in the area. Sometimes while exploring the trees she decides to practice her nest-building skills. During these essential skill-building sessions, she breaks off leafy branches and carefully folds them into a most impressive orangutan nest. Kobe’s confidence and skills have always made her something of a leader. The group of peers who have adopted her as their ‘teacher’ seem to have learned much over the past few months.

An interesting development is Kobe’s growing interest in forest life closer to the ground. After spending some time high up in the trees, she will often climb down and carefully inspect the different kinds of vegetation and insects she finds on the forest floor. She is especially interested in tasty young leaves and big insect larvae. On hot days, Kobe has figured out a creative way to cool herself down. She will look for a nice pool of water, dig up the mud on the bottom, and cover her body with it, giving herself an energetic scrub while standing up using both hands.

During daily forest release, Kobe mainly focuses on her natural surroundings but back in her sleeping enclosure, she is a much more social orangutan who loves to play with her peers. Kobe also has a healthy appetite, is fond of most fruits, and never passes up an offered treat. Her beautiful, shiny coat and muscular body attest to her health.

Kobe is on the right track in developing the skills she will eventually need to survive in the wild. There is still much to learn. We will be carefully monitoring her for new behaviours and progress milestones over the next 6 months. Stay tuned!

Click here to download Kobe’s August 2017 Foster Update