Kobe has been doing very well over the past six months and continues growing into a smart, brave, and wonderfully curious orangutan. She has remained healthy throughout this period, with a glossy coat that is getting longer and thicker as she grows — a great sign of her overall wellbeing.

Kobe still seems to be settling into the forest around Camp Cempedak. While she is still adjusting, she has become increasingly familiar with her caregivers there, even if she remains a little selective about whom she likes. True to her independent nature, Kobe prefers to keep her distance and is not particularly fond of being held. Only her surrogate mother, Ibu Ena, with whom she shares a very special bond, is allowed to hug her. Ibu Ena attends to Kobe with great attention and much care. Kobe seems to have a special place in her heart for her fellow orangutans as she enjoys spending time at the playground at Camp Danielle, the nearby infant camp. Here she likes to play with the younger orangutans, showing them the ways of the forest.

Kobe is very active in the trees: moving confidently, foraging for food, and practicing nest building. She makes a nest every day in the trees using twigs, branches, and leaves. Her caregivers feel there is still room for improvement before she will be ready for release. For now, her caregivers continue to follow her in the forest to monitor her progress. She is a great eater and not fussy, enjoying a wide variety of foods, especially bananas, rambutan, and durian when they are in season. Kobe also loves enrichment activities such as receiving parcels, ant nests, and wooden puzzles, which help stimulate her sharp mind. At night, Kobe shares her sleeping enclosure with friends including Bimbing, Karti, and her close companion Judy.

Kobe clearly heeds the call of the forest. There is nowhere that she would rather be than high in the treetops, learning and growing at a rapid pace as she moves in a trajectory to ultimately go back to the wild that ultimately was and will be her future home.

Click here to download Kobe’s February 2026 Foster Update