Do you remember the story of Hamzah crashing Lesan and Sayang’s party? It’s been two years since the last time orangutan Sayang and her baby (left), as well as Lesan and her baby (right), party around Camp Lesik. These two pairs of mothers and their young each now carry their second offspring, who are around two years old, while their eldest—Ayu and Padma—have grown independent and no longer follow their mothers.

Life of Lesan and Sayang After Being Released

Lesan was released into the Kehje Sewen Forest in 2012. Five years later, she was observed carrying her first baby, who was named Ayu. When Ayu turned around six years old, Lesan gave birth to her second baby in early 2023.

Read also: THE NEW FAMILY DYNAMICS OF LESAN

Meanwhile, Sayang was released in 2013. Similar to Lesan, Sayang was seen carrying her first baby in 2018, named Padma. She was later observed with her second baby in mid-2023. Though not as often as Lesan, Sayang also enjoys being around the camp, quietly observing the team’s activities without causing any trouble. Both Lesan and Sayang are excellent mothers, skilfully teaching their offspring essential survival skills for life in the wild.

The Second Offspring of Lesan and Sayang

Recently, Lesan and Sayang returned to Camp Lesik, each carrying their second baby. These young orangutans are currently in the critical phase of learning from their mothers, observing and mimicking their behaviour to understand how to survive in the wild.

Read also: SAYANG, THE GREAT MOTHER

The presence of these four orangutans was first noticed when the sound of rustling came from the bamboo thickets behind the camp. The two mother-and-baby pairs were seen moving and swinging between bamboo trees while munching on some young leaves. Our team quickly observed and captured the moment through photographs.

Afternoon Feast at Camp Lesik

Satisfied with the young bamboo leaves, Lesan and Sayang moved to a sweet potato patch near the camp. They dug up the sweet potatoes and enjoyed their feast. Meanwhile, the babies sat quietly, observing their mothers and occasionally grabbing what was in their mother’s hands or mouths.

Once they had finished with the sweet potatoes, the orangutans moved on to some pumpkins they found nearby and enjoyed them as well. Even the kangkong (water spinach) planted in the camp for the team’s food supplies wasn’t spared—it became part of the meal for Sayang, Lesan, and their offspring’s

Read also: AN ORANGUTAN ‘PARTY’

After finishing their impromptu feast, the group climbed into the trees in front of the camp and swung from branch to branch, heading deeper into the forest. As the day turned to dusk, our team decided to stop the observation and let the mother-and-baby pairs enjoy their time building nests and resting for the night.

Orangutans spend the majority of their time eating, while the rest is dedicated to exploring, socializing, grooming, playing, building nests, and resting. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Lesan and Sayang’s primary activity that evening was eating. The only difference from their previous "party" was the absence of Hamzah, who was notorious for disrupting their feasting sessions in the past.

Text by: Biodiversity-PRM Team, PT. RHOI, Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan