SIGNE’S UNIQUE FAMILY DYNAMIC
Recently, the Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team had the rare chance to observe an orangutan mother and her two children together. Find out who it was and why this family is so special.
At the time, Jimi and Yunus, two PRM team members from Camp Nles Mamse in the Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan, were carrying out a routine patrol. It was early in the morning when the sounds of tropical birds and the soft hush of the flowing river filled the air. Jimi and Yunus were happy, energized, and excited about what they might encounter in the forest on such a lovely day.
They could hear various animals and the wind blowing through the forest’s trees and plants. This particular patrol aimed to locate and observe recently released orangutans to determine how they were adapting to life in their new environment and to analyze their habits, health, and general security.
Signe unique family dynamic with her two children – a rare family get-together.
Suddenly, they heard something moving in the trees coming from up above. Jimi and Yunus stopped still in the middle of the track, listening intently to try and ascertain if the movements were coming from orangutans. Then, Signe and her little family suddenly emerged from the thick forest canopy!
Signe was released six years ago with her first child, Bungaran. Four years later, while roaming free in the Kehje Sewen Forest, she gave birth to her second child. Today, Bungaran is seven years old, while Signe’s second born is less than two years old.
In general, young orangutans will stay by their mother’s side until the age of about seven to eight years. While living alongside their mothers, young orangutans learn from them everything they need to know to survive in the forest. Bungaran, Signe’s first offspring, still follows Signe, despite there being another infant for Signe to care for. This special bond makes for quite an unusual dynamic to witness.
What a wonderful, dedicated mother Signe is!
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