1 March 2010

Meet Sigit and Bunga

Volunteer Paloma introduces Sigit and Bunga, two rescued infant orangutans at International Animal Rescue's emergency centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.

Sigit, a male of only about 1 1/2 years old, arrived during the summer of 2009. A Chinese man brought him to the centre wearing baby clothes. He had bought him a few months before but had gradually become concerned about the orangutan’s welfare and decided to hand him over to the centre. Sigit is very inquisitive and likes to investigate every thing around him.

When we take him out to play, first of all he looks around and then gradually he starts to investigate the grass, the leaves and every little stick that is lying around, and sometimes he tries to climb the trees too. He sometimes plays with Melky and Bunga but he's still a baby and soon gets tired and runs to a keeper for protection!

Bunga, a female of about 2 1/2 years old, arrived at the centre in November 2009. A family called us and asked us to go and pick her up from their house. They said that they had found Bunga three months earlier and had decided to keep her. She was in a cage in the garden of the house but apparently sometimes they let her out.

Bunga is extremely affectionate: when she goes outside to play, for the first few minutes she just clings on to the carer (that's me!) and she doesn't want to let go. But then after a while she starts to investigate and gets more confident. She's even started to climb the trees a bit too, in a more ladylike way than Melky! - and started to play with him too.

Some times she plays with Sigit too but this play is more gentle because Sigit is a bit smaller than Bunga. She loves to play with the tub and with the tyres that are hanging from the trees, but she always keeps one eye on her carer!

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