With just short of 400 orangutans onsite, the enrichment team at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary have the enormous task of keeping the great apes stimulated. In 2018, the sanctuary opened its doors to volunteers to ensure that all the orangutans are kept happy and that their senses are stimulated, giving them the best chance for release in the future.
Now, the volunteer programme is in full swing and boy, were the baby orangutans in for a treat this week! The experienced enrichment team at Nyaru Menteng thought of a way to ‘spice’ up (or rather sweeten) the baby orangutans’ playground with a new feature, which incorporated one of the orangutan’s favourite treats: honey!
Over the past two weeks, volunteers and staff banded together to execute Project Honey Dipper.
The Structure
The structure for the 'honey dipper' took 3 afternoons to construct. Armed with power tools, wood and smiling faces, the volunteers worked together to create a unique climbing frame, complete with holes drilled into the wood to hold the honey!
The Transportation
Once complete, it was time to move the structure to the playground. If you've ever had to move house or even just wanted to rearrange your room, you'll know the struggle of moving awkward objects...
...but teamwork prevailed!
The Finished Article
After finding the perfect place for the 'honey dipper' and giving it a quick wash down, it was ready for its primate playmates.
The After School Antics
After jungle school, the babies rushed over to investigate. A new climbing frame would have been a treat in itself...
...but there was an added bonus: it came with a side of honey! Though, as you can see from the picture above, the honey application was harder than expected.
As these clever apes know, there is an easier way to get that hard-to-reach honey, and the best way to reach it...?
...is with tools! When slurping the honey just wasn't doing the job, they grabbed sticks to ensure they got every last drop.
It’s fair to say that Project Honey Dipper was a success! Join us in saying a big ‘thank you’ to the volunteers and staff for their hard work. Now the volunteer programme is firmly in place, the baby orangutans will be able to enjoy playground improvements and the adults will have stimulating daily enrichment, all helping towards their end goal of being released. 
Become a member of the enrichment team by heading over to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary page!
