Ryan is handling his juvenile years in healthy orangutan fashion: with vim and vigour! He has a longer, leaner body and is using newfound strength to climb farther than ever before in the Learning Forest.

His caregiver, Ibu Lavia, is affectionately exasperated when talking about Ryan. “He climbs so high and ventures so far,” she says, “it is nearly impossible to coax him back to the group.” Apparently, Ryan recently swung himself all the way to the older orangutan playground! His curiosity and fearlessness in the forest always takes him further. However he always makes his way back eventually, due to the strong bond he shares with his “surrogate mother” Ibu Lavia, happily climbing on her back for the short trip home to his sleeping enclosure. Once in his enclosure, he eats heartily and is happy with the variety of fruits that he is receiving.

Ryan has a newfound interest in playfighting, a positive development which demonstrates he is not one to be pushed around. He practices his martial art moves on his pals Tommy and Tungka. Ryan often uses his legs like vines from which he can swing. He also uses his strong teeth to nip and warn them of his strength and confidence, especially if the fighting gets rough.

As Ryan continues to grow, he is also becoming more adventurous. He recently helped Krista, a larger female orangutan, take apart a surveillance camera placed in the forest! It was impossible to mourn the damage too much despite the camera’s relatively expensive price, however, after one look at his innocent “who me?” expression. Ryan’s face is irresistible! The camera’s SD card told the tale and fingered the culprits as they stared into the camera before beginning to tear it apart.

Ryan is a lovable contradiction, sometimes affectionate and other times aloof. This detachment is necessary for him to be released when he is older. His smooth progress is a joy to behold as we continue to prepare him for a future of life in the wild, where he is sure to thrive.

Click here to download Ryan’s August 2018 Foster Kit