Happi

Happi continues to do well at the Bornean Orangutan Rescue Alliance (BORA) centre in East Kalimantan. In June, Happi’s enclosure was damaged during the night by a falling tree. In the early morning, the orangutan keepers found that all four orangutans from that enclosure – Happi, Annie, Owi and Berani had all escaped through a hole in the enclosure! The orangutan keepers know the orangutans very well and they searched in various places to find them. Happi doesn’t like being on the ground and he was found up a tree nearby and the other orangutans were found shortly after. Everyone was very relieved that all the young orangutans were unharmed. The four orangutans had to be moved to a different enclosure due to the extensive damage caused by the tree.

Happi had been greatly enjoying forest school and developing his forest skills, however, COVID-19 has meant lots of changes for both orangutans and staff at the orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centres throughout Indonesia. Staff are having limited contact with orangutans and forest school is not taking place. However, recently some of the orangutans, including Happi, at the BORA centre have been able to have some time in the outdoor orangutan playground which is fabulous. Happi has greatly enjoyed this extra freedom and opportunity to climb and explore on the playground equipment and play with the other orangutans.

Happi is in good health and loves his food and milk. He is the smallest in his group, so he has a tactic of taking his food ration quickly and climbing straight into the hammock and eating it quickly, so none gets taken by the others. He is very quick and agile. During COVID-19 restrictions, the orangutan keepers are providing more enrichment for the orangutans to keep them mentally and physically active. Happi loves receiving the branches and leaves and will make a comfy nest to rest in in the hammock. Happi is also very skilled at eating banana stem and rattan which is very spikey on the outside but has edible pith inside. He also enjoys whole coconuts, but he has not mastered the art of breaking into these as yet. He will need to learn from Berani and Annie.

Happi seems to have a love for playing with water. Lately, when the keepers have come to clean the enclosures, Happi has come down from his hammock and reached out to play with the water spray. He also opened his mouth and caught the water in his mouth, swishing it around and spitting it out. It’s wonderful that Happi can have such fun with these things and also has continued to develop his skills during the COVID-19 restrictions. Well done Happi!

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Happi

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