As the procession of caregivers and orangutans from Pondok Dua make their way out to their daily forest release, Ryan’s eyes turn upward towards the canopy. Within minutes, he’s among the highest trees, swinging on vines and playing with his friends.

Ryan is playful and energetic and loves to socialize with orangutans or his caretakers. He and orangutan female Bayat enjoy playing together but a bit roughly, complete with playful nips and wrestling. When his friends aren’t in the mood, Ryan is content to tumble around on his own.

Ryan loves to get dirty. He will sit in the dirt and pour heaps of it over his little head like a baptism, until you can barely see him save for his blinking brown eyes in the middle of the mess. He is also an accomplished forager.  On his daily visits to the Learning Forest, he collects a variety of treats, such as young leaves, termites, and tender roots.

Ryan loves climbing, but he still has room to learn, especially when it comes to swinging on vines. He’s quick and sure-footed as a climber, but sometimes he finds it difficult to successfully swing from one tree to the other on a vine. Often he’ll end up just short of the next tree, and have to try again. Luckily for Ryan, he is entirely undeterred by his mistakes.  His persistence is a good sign for the future.

Click here to download Ryan’s February 2017 Foster Update