Kobe … canopy breakdancer!

As soon as Kobe is released into the forest, she is off like a shot. Climbing up to 30 metres high in the canopy is just another average day’s activity for her. She appears to walk effortlessly sideways up tree trunks.  If it weren’t for her watchful caregivers, Kobe would keep on going, going, and going.

It’s easy to imagine that in another lifetime and with a human identity, Kobe would have been renowned for her breakdancing.  She has some real power moves. Breakdancing relies on speed, momentum, and acrobatics for performance.  Kobe possesses all these qualities in abundance. The forest is her stage. What look like well-rehearsed routines on Kobe’s part are completely spontaneous. This is breakdancing “Borneo style.” Her unique way of movement and precision allows Kobe to weave gracefully through the complex network of small branches, twigs, and leaves in the forest canopy. Her strong arms provide balance and stability as she brachiates from one tree to another.

With the hot and humid summer months in full swing in Borneo, Kobe likes to immerse herself, quite literally, in the mud. The orange-reddish hair of orangutans reflects brilliantly in the sunlight. But in the shade, the dark skin of orangutans underneath the hair absorbs the light so we only see the skin beneath. It acts as a form of camouflage, whether intentional or not. Kobe adds an extra layer of camouflage by covering herself in mud to the point where she is hardly visible. This game of hide and seek provides her caregivers with their own enrichment and mental “exercise.”

Kobe’s friends Irina, Ulexa, Judy and Karti follow in Kobe’s footsteps as she trailblazes her way through the forest. The forest continues to hold irresistible possibilities for Kobe. She is always looking forward to the next misadventure. In the next few months we look forward to updating you further as Kobe defies gravity with her “Borneo style!”

Click here to download Kobe’s August 2021 Foster Update