The beginning of every month brings a unique challenge for our team – it is time for the orangutans in the soft-release programme to have their health-checks. What was once a straightforward process has evolved into a chaotic circus – one never knows what will happen.
Logos receiving health check, 2023
The soft-release programme is for orphaned orangutans who, without a mother to teach them, are in our care learning how to be wild. Monthly health-checks are a routine procedure to ensure all the orangutans are on track for their release.
Timtom, Logos and Sinta are three orphans that we look after. All less than ten years old, these young orangutans have always cooperated with ease as the veterinarians check their weight and examine their health. They have sat quietly, observing the forest and the procedure. It has been a simple routine; a monthly ritual.
Logos, Sinta and Timtom
But simplicity is a thing of the past and now, every health check comes with its own surprise. Sinta, who used to be the calmest of the group, has become an expert climber, quickly scaling the nearest tree the moment she spots the medical equipment. Timtom is no different. Instead of walking towards the waiting vet, she bolts for the highest branch she can reach, peering down from a safe distance.
To adapt to these antics, our camp staff have had to get creative. They discovered one trick that still works: coconuts. Offering a whole coconut to Sinta and Timtom provides just enough distraction for a few precious minutes. It gives the vet a brief window to move quickly and perform the necessary checks.
Sinta being led to her veterinary assessment in 2023
The younger male, Logos, on the other hand, demands a completely different level of patience. The staff must let him out of his enclosure early, taking him for a walk into the forest before the veterinary team even arrives. He plays and practices climbing to his heart's content. Only once his curiosity of the wild world is satisfied will Logos allow the vet to approach. There are no shortcuts; if rushed, the four-year-old becomes completely unapproachable.
An orangutan that is easy to manage or one that shows no suspicion toward human hands, is not an orangutan ready to survive alone in the wild. The new behaviour of these orangutans - a tendency to keep their distance - all speaks the same language: their wild instincts are waking up. This is exactly what needs to happen as they edge closer to full release.
Logos learning in the forest, 2025
Ultimately, the goal is not to keep these orangutans gentle and manageable, but to guide them back to the primal instincts they lost when they were orphaned at such a vulnerable age. Every time Sinta retreats, every time Timtom chooses a high branch over the ground, and every time Logos insists on finishing his forest practice, it represents not a step backwards, but a step towards freedom.
Timtom learning in the forest, 2026
