updates on our infant adopted orangutans

Name: Carlos
Sex: male
Arrival date: 6 Feb 2004
Age on arrival: 1.5 years
Previous history: brought in by a logger
Care centre: Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project
Update: April 2010

Carlos is now around 7 years old and shows all the skills of a confident and extremely independent orangutan. He may look slightly rough at present, but he is looking rather sheek to the orangutan population at Nyaru Menteng! He is growing quite tall and is filling out his body each day and keeps a close eye on his female friends in the adjacent socialisation complex.The last few months all the orangutans which are destined for new island life, are being placed in there final stage of pre-island release.Carlos has temprarily moved from the forest into a transit socialisation complex, in preparation for moving to a new island. He will be closely montiored and will have his health checks, prior to his new island life. Carlos is now an independant and highly skilled orangutan and shares the socialisation cage with 5 other males with the same skills. He continues to still take charge during feeding times, dominating the food and ensuring he is the first with food selection. Carlos is manged by the male techncians that he has affiliated himself with. These technicans will also be a huge part of helping him to get used to his pending island life. Carlos continues to problem solve in his transit space. The technicians provide many natural enrichment products like honey in wood, has fresh leaf offered to him each night so he can make a new nest and offered fruit in hard to reach places. Carlos has developed a special skill of crafting and using tools to get these food items out of hard to reach places. This skill is important as he may need to draw upon his problem solving capabilites in his new island. Additonal, Carlos is a master of opening coocnuts within a minute. All his 5 friends that share the same transit space are not as good at opening coconuts, and will watch Carlos intently on how he does it so fast. He does not give away his secrets too fast, and will not allow his firends to share the coconut with him. A true skill from a male orangutan, perfect for his exciting future.Carlos will soon be released onto this island and it will be very difficult to continue to provide regular updates. We kindly ask you to consider adopting a new baby orangutan that needs just as much support as you have given Carlos. We acknowledge that Carlos will always be very special and will send you a photo of him being released into his new island home, as soon as the island is ready to accept the orangutans.