Carmen continues to make excellent progress in forest school. She is a self-possessed orangutan that knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to show it. Carmen may share her sleeping enclosure with her friends Maue-Kay, Summer and Dodot but once she is out in forest school, she forgets all about them. Carmen remains happy in her own company. In fact, she doesn’t need them or her nearby caregivers. If she does happen to bump into one of her friends like Dodot or Maue-Kay, she will have a little playful catch up with them.

Carmen likes to climb high and stay there. She has no need to come down as she brachiates dexterously from one branch to another. She swings every which way in pursuit of food. Everything else seems to melt away from her consciousness. Carmen acts like an orangutan on a mission. In the canopy Carmen leans on the branches with her body scrunched up. She is a coiled spring, ready to bounce around the trees like a pinball in an arcade machine. Very rarely does she come down from the trees. On those rare occasions Carmen does descend from a tree, it is only to get from one area to another as fast as she can. On even rarer occasions Carmen will play in the swamp pools where her fellow orangutans very much enjoy playing and splashing about. Carmen may dip a toe in the water, so she has at least taken part, but she doesn’t enjoy these antics.

Interestingly, during feeding times at Pondok Dua Carmen has taken a dislike to papaya. When given papaya Carmen turns her nose up at it and ends up throwing the fruit around. However, in the Learning Forest if she comes across ripe papaya that has fallen on the ground, Carmen will happily give it a try. Orangutans on average in the wild can eat 1-25 different foods per day with females consuming an average of 9.6 a day and males 7.1 a day. Carmen is very good at foraging as she eats many types of leaves. Caregivers have observed Carmen looking for young leaves and consuming them.

When the time comes Carmen will be well suited to life in the wild. Carmen dances as if nobody is watching but OFI will be right there alongside as her personal cheerleaders for as long as she needs us!

Click here to download Carmen’s February 2023 Foster Update