The Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary welcomed back its first volunteer groups of the year in April, and The Great Projects' volunteer coordinators, Matt and Niamh, have provided an update on what was achieved at the sanctuary throughout the month:
Bamboo Enrichment
Volunteers spent a morning working as a team to create bamboo enrichment for the orangutans. They chopped down bamboo, sawed it into sections, smeared porridge inside it and stuffed the hollow centres with nuts and seeds. This is great natural enrichment for the orangutans as they need to use their fingers and sticks to poke the treats out of the bamboo. This type of enrichment encourages foraging behaviour and problem-solving skills for the releasable orangutans.
Boat Tour
The volunteers also went on a boat tour around Kaja and Bangamat pre-release islands to watch rehabilitated orangutans learning three key skills which include foraging, making a nest, and climbing before they can be released into an expanse area of primary rainforest on mainland Borneo.
Hammock Making
Everyone got stuck in with the enrichment team to build comfortable hammocks for the orangutans!
Hilltop Hike
We all took an afternoon off to hike up Bukit Tangkiling to take in the incredible view of the primary rainforest that surrounds the sanctuary grounds.
Tropical Ice Block Enrichment
Volunteers were also busy making tropical-flavoured ice blocks for the orangutans so they could cool down from a hot and humid day here in Borneo. One of our month-long volunteers Molly, showed newly arrived volunteers the mastered technique of knotting the blocks before freezing them.
Leaf Collecting For Nests
Volunteers took part in cutting leaves around the sanctuary to give to the orangutans so they can make a comfortable nest for the night and nibble on their flowers and seeds. Sometimes on our way, we spot other wildlife, and this week we found an Asian box turtle in the middle of the road... so we moved it gently out of our way so it wasn’t harmed!
Palm Enrichment
Volunteers weaved, knotted, and lopped nuts and seeds into palm fronds as a form of complex enrichment for the rehabilitated orangutans.
Hop On The Orangutan Bus!
Finally, volunteers hopped on the iconic orangutan bus! Recognised from the Orangutan Jungle School series on Channel 4, where baby orangutans were moved to their new home in Nyaru Menteng. Volunteers use it to travel through Kalimantan when it is not transporting baby orangutans of course.
A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came in April to help and for all your hard work. It was great to meet and work with you all and we look forward to welcoming more volunteers this year at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary!
