New body, same old Brunei
Despite the physical changes, he is still Brunei to the keepers who have known him for his entire life. In 1991 he was born to Pepper Orangutan here at Brookfield Zoo (in fact, she still lives in Tropic World too). Keepers describe him as trusting, but a bit shy. This might hearken back to his relationship with Pepper, who was a bit over-protective of her only child. She was known to keep him within an arm’s length, limiting his exploration at a young age. Keepers note that his growth spurt has made him more confident. They work with him during daily training sessions, where he had already learned to touch specific targets and even to tolerate needles for shots used in his care.
Keepers describe Brunei as a “chow hound” who loves all food-related behavioral enrichment activities---especially “juicers.” The orangutans dip cloth into these juice-filled PVC pipes and then suck out the sweet liquid There are other fun behind-the-scenes activities like tubes that the apes can get honey from by using a stick, or piles of wood shavings that hide food (he has learned to gently blow the shavings away for a quick snack). Keepers have to watch his food intake. He has been eating lots to fuel this explosive growth, but they will throttle his diet down as his spurt comes to an end. Orangutans are hard-wired to gorge on fruit when it is around and to conserve energy because food can be scarce in their native forests; but these are not problems at Brookfield Zoo, so unmonitored food intake can lead to obesity.
Life in the trees
Orangutans are truly amazing, intelligent animals. The word orangutan comes from the Malay words for "forest people" or "man of the forest.” They are native to the forests of Borneo and Sumatra (large islands in Indonesia and Malaysia). Orangutans are one of four great ape species (the others are gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees). They are unique among the great apes, as orangutans are found in Asia, while the other three are found in Africa. They are also the only strictly arboreal great apes---meaning they spend most of their time in the trees. They use their skilled, nimble hands and feet to move gracefully through the treetops, build nests, and peel fruit. Unfortunately, very few people will have a chance to see orangutans in the wild. Their numbers have been severely limited, especially due to deforestation in Sumatra and Borneo.
Life in the trees can seem lonely, but orangutans tend to live solitary lives because a forest patch cannot provide enough food or shelter for large groups of orangutans all living in one area. Mature males are solitary and their territory overlaps with the territories of several separate females that travel with their offspring. Adult females may travel together for several days. Young orangutans may also occasionally travel together. Males leave the area they grow up in and females typically settle near their mother’s home range.
Life at the zoo
There are about 175 orangutans in North American Zoos. Brookfield Zoo is the proud home to eight of them. Three groups of orangutans live in Tropic World: Asia. Only one group is on exhibit at any one time. Brunei lives with Maggie Orangutan of extreme makeover fame. Brunei and Maggie can typically be seen be seen on exhibit Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings until 2:00 (and until 12:45 during winter hours). Each orangutan has his or her unique personality and style of interacting with other orangutans and with visitors. Slow down on your next visit through Tropic World to take the time to watch these large marvels. Make no mistake; these very smart apes are examining you as closely as you are examining them!
Furry Films
Since Brunei has been here for so long, we can track his growth. Take a look at these videos to see him balloon over time! (These are all large Windows Media files that require a broadband connection.)If you do not have Windows Media or Quicktime you can download them here by clicking on the tile below:
Links
Want to know more about the orangutans at Brookfield Zoo and in the wild? Check out these other articles:
