Meki lives on one of the BOS Foundation’s pre-release islands in the Rungan River called Kaja Island. She is 14 years of age and is in excellent health.
Meki waiting for a food delivery
Meki has been doing well over the last six months. She eagerly joins her friends on feeding platform number 5 at Lake Klawau when the technicians arrive to distribute supplementary food to the orangutans on the island. Meki enjoys all the fruits and vegetables that are given out. Some orangutans will stay around the feeding platform after they have finished their food, however Meki will leave to travel and explore the island. Meki gets along well with the other orangutans and is not involved in any disagreements or fights.
Meki enjoying a delivered snack in the canopy
In addition to observing orangutan behavior on the island, the BOSF team also has a schedule to conduct phenology studies to record the state of vegetation and the availability of natural food on the island. Currently on transects on Kaja island, the vegetation observed to be fruiting was Kamasira (Ilex cymosa). While the vegetation observed flowering were Butun (Cratoxylum), Karipak (Mezzetia sp.), Nyamplung (Calophyllum). Meki was recorded eating kamasira fruit and supplementing this with alternative food sources such as termites, cambium and gluta sap.
Meki continues to show excellent forest skills including being able to forage for natural food sources, climb safely in the canopy and build safe and sturdy nests. We all can’t wait for Meki to pass the pre-release stage of rehabilitation, and one day watch on as she is released into her true forest home. Thank you to all of Meki's loyal adopters for helping her on her journey to freedom!
