Charlie continues to develop apace. These days he is a determined trailblazer, leading the way to where others do not dare to tread. During daily forest releases Charlie takes on almost mythical status. Arrive late in the morning and you will have to make do with tales of his exploits told by admiring caregivers. By mid-morning Charlie has already carved out a path deep into the forest. His caregivers will point out where he wrestled with his buddy Valentino and the trees he climbed before promptly flinging himself onto the ground. Charlie still much prefers to keep himself on terra firma – there’s plenty to see there. Charlie embodies many characteristics of a young active orangutan, namely running around, wrestling with his pals and getting muddy!

We can recall one recent memorable day where Charlie, filled with excitement and adrenaline, moved through the forest at the pace of a gazelle leaving his peers far behind. His caregivers quickly formed a search party to track him down. Charlie wasn’t in any of his usual spots and we had to cast our nets wider. The search eventually brought us to another Pondok, on the opposite side of the Learning Forest. We heard first-hand from the assistants there how Charlie emerged from the forest and entered their kitchen, causing a loud commotion by knocking over sugar jars, coffee containers and cups! Here it seems Charlie finally discovered his interest in climbing as he could be found sitting atop one of the orangutan sleeping enclosures. There is only one person who can tempt him down when he settles up in the trees or above structures, his favourite caregiver, Ibu Sanek. She came armed with a secret weapon – a bottle of milk – and gently called his name. Charlie considered his options and eventually climbed down. It had been quite the day and he was definitely ready to crawl into his Ibu’s arms for some TLC.

Charlie’s feeling of invincibility and “can do” attitude is admirable. As he grows older and wiser, he will learn how to channel all this youthful exuberance for that big day when he returns to the wild. Until then we will keep you posted on how he comes along.

Click here to download Charlie’s February 2019 Foster Kit