MEET BABY JENNY
We have recently welcomed a new infant orangutan at the Samboja Lestari Rehabilitation Centre.
Little Jenny’s rescue story began when a villager found her alone on an oil palm plantation. Believing she was a macaque, he took the baby, who is about one to two years old, home and kept her as a pet for five months.
Fortunately, a neighbour informed him that orangutans are a protected species he can not keep as pets. The villager then contacted the nearest Natural Resources Conservation Agency, and a rescue team quickly arrived to retrieve Jenny and brought her to Samboja Lestari.
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- Upon her arrival, Jenny sought comfort from her surrogate mother.
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- Fortunately, the medical check confirmed she was healthy.
During her captivity, the resident fed Jenny milk, bananas, rice and bread. Eventually, due to financial constraints, he replaced the milk with tea. As a result, Jenny became dependent on tea and would show signs of aggression if she didn’t receive her usual drink.
Despite being kept as a pet, the infant never behaved aggressively toward humans. She even slept with the family and occasionally played outside, climbing trees and nibbling on young leaves.
Jenny feels a bit scared but is overall healthy as she joins her new family at Samboja Lestari alongside other baby orangutans like Galaksi and Otan.It may take her some time to adjust, but with the loving care from her surrogate mother and the dedicated efforts of the animal welfare and medical team, we are optimistic that she will grow stronger each day.
Did you know that by adopting an orphan like Jenny, you can help all babies in our care thrive towards a wild future? Meet our adoptable orangutans here.
Photos: ©BOSF
