The last six months seem to have flown by and we have lots of wonderful news to update you on. Ryan continues to share his sleeping enclosure with Tungka and enjoys his releases to forest school. As soon as Ryan exits camp, he will make a break for the forest as he seeks a fortress of solitude. In the forest Ryan is sure to be followed closely by his orangutan friend Robert. Ryan rarely has any disagreements with his fellow orangutans, but he can lose patience with Robert being constantly at his heels. Male orangutans grow more solitary with age and Ryan enjoys his private travels deep into the forest.

Ryan has always pushed his boundaries and these days he pushes to the edge of the Orangutan Care Centre & Quarantine (OCCQ) Learning Forest boundary. Ryan also has no filter or concept of self-censoring; he doesn’t care how he appears to others. He can be covered in dirt and tree bark from head to toe and is still more than happy.

With his maturity and strength, it is sometimes challenging for his caregivers to persuade Ryan to come back to camp. The average orangutan is five to seven times stronger than the average human and can lift up to 500 pounds (227 kgs).

As we mentioned in previous updates Ryan has mastered nest making in the trees and has since gone a step further. Recently Ryan spent a night sleeping in the Learning Forest. His caregivers patiently waited until Ryan had constructed a nest. Satisfied that it was safe and comfortable, Ryan went to sleep at dusk and his caregivers left him there before returning at dawn to await his awakening. Eventually Ryan came back to camp with his caregivers so they could all have some breakfast.

This is exciting progress in Ryan’s journey back to the wild. He can forage for himself, build a nest, and spend a night in the forest without incident. He is well on the road to self-sufficiency. He is becoming a “person of the forest.”

Click here to download Ryan’s August 2023 Foster Update