SUPER MUM
Du, a repatriated female from Thailand, is a beacon of hope for our orangutan conservation efforts. She not only raised three of her own children but also adopted a baby boy from her best friend.
Prepare for a tongue twister: Dea, Dinda, Dai and Dumel. These are four beautiful orangutans, and they all have an amazing mum. Her name is Du, and she is one of 49 other orangutans the Indonesian government successfully repatriated from Thailand in 2006. At that time, Du was over 20 years old, and the medical team immediately placed her in quarantine before she joined other orangutans on a pre-release island.
Caring and skilled
Three years after her return, Du became pregnant and gave birth to her first child, whom we named Dea. No relationship is more beautiful than the bond between a mother and her child. Du was very skilled at raising her child, and Dea grew into an intelligent orangutan. As a result, she became one of the orangutans released in 2019 in the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park – undoubtedly a significant achievement in the world of conservation.
When an orangutan is not only repatriated but also beats the odds and is completely rehabilitated, they, too, contribute to the primary goal of establishing orangutan populations in the wild to support the species’ future.
More precious babies
It did not stop there; Du gave birth to her second child in 2016 on the pre-release island, Dinda. She has grown into another confident female orangutan, living independently on Kaja Pre-Release Island.
In 2022, the BOS team observed Du carrying a third baby, Dai. At the same time, her close friend Melata, another repatriated orangutan, also gave birth to a baby, Dumel. Unfortunately, Melata went missing at the start of 2023. Luckily, Du readily adopted Dumel to raise him alongside Dai.
To keep them safe, Du and her two children, Dai and Dumel, are back in the rehabilitation centre.
Terrifying incident
As a semi-wild habitat, conditions on the pre-release island are unpredictable and opportunities for human intervention are minimal, especially when things happen quickly. Like when a male orangutan took Dumel away from Du. Fortunately, this terrifying incident did not last long, and Dumel could soon return to Du’s care. To prevent this from happening again and to ensure the safety of the babies, our medical team decided to move Du and her two children to the individual complex behind our rehabilitation centre clinic.
While growing older, Dumel was often seen clinging to Du even more so than Dai. It is rare for female orangutans to carry two babies simultaneously. Most will only care for the next baby once the previous one is fully independent. This period usually requires six to eight years or even longer.
Incredible journey
Du’s journey from her rescue in Thailand to becoming an experienced orangutan mother in Indonesia who has successfully raised four babies is a beacon of hope for the conservation efforts of this remarkable primate. One of her children is already thriving in the wild; we hope the other three will follow in her footsteps. This example shows that the repatriation program is an essential step in preserving Indonesia’s iconic species. With the cooperation between the government, non-governmental organisations and the public, we can ensure that orangutans smuggled abroad can return to their natural habitat and contribute to the balance of Indonesia’s ecosystems.
Photos: ©BOS Foundation
Please support our orangutan conservation work by adopting or donating. Thank you!
