Tommy is such an energetic orangutan he never seems to stop. He enjoys all the fruit we offer him, but he never overindulges. It’s as if he doesn’t want to weigh himself down too much so he can keep light and nimble. With his playmates Jankis, Ponti and Hayes, Tommy isn’t short of activity and exercise. This tight knit gang are virtually inseparable. To get photos for this update we had to take Tommy to the forest by himself as he was so active with his friends we couldn’t get him to sit still for a picture!

When by himself Tommy is almost a different orangutan, displaying a more chilled out and casual demeanour. It must be odd for Tommy as he is used to company all the time, but this appears to be a welcome break for him. As he gets older he will naturally become more solitary and independent.

Tommy likes to climb high into the trees so he can get a good view of everything happening around him. As the camera clicks, Tommy looks past the photographer to see if there is anything hiding behind her. His big black eyes are amplified by his thin features. He has a soft hypnotic gaze. He raises his eyebrows making them appear bigger and his face puppy eyed. We don’t know about you, but it never fails to provoke a nurturing response from us!

Tommy also sits still for ant nests. He is able to find several around the base of the trees in the Learning Forest and he begins to make short work of them. He grabs one and with his prize held high he shimmies up the tree, but his exuberance is premature. He accidentally drops the nest to the ground. Using that lightning energy charge we know him for, Tommy dashes down the tree and retrieves the nest. Luckily it is undamaged, and he begins to feast. Ants nests contain vital protein that will help keep Tommy in motion for hours to come. On the ground or in the air Tommy is happy to play. With his photo session finished it is time to return to his playmates and Tommy bounces through the forest eager to play some more!

Click here to download Tommy’s February 2022 Foster Update