Gatot

When Gatot arrived at the centre, he had no teeth at all. Before being rescued, he was fed nothing but condensed milk so upon arrival at the centre he was fed banana, which began to help him build his strength until he was able to eat solid food. Gatot and Bonya were introduced to each other in hopes that they would become firm friends and support each other through all stages of their rehabilitation. Both of these babies are orphans so were quick to bond.

Vet nurse Fitri introduced him to some of the other babies and at first he was very nervous and frightened. He cried a great deal and tried to cling to Kandi, who was another baby orangutan. However, Kandi wasn’t too happy to have Gatot clinging to him – perhaps because of all the noise he was making. Fortunately, Jamila, a young female orangutan, would hug Gatot to try and comfort him. Having experienced the traumatic loss of his mother at such a young age, he was the most frightened member of Baby School.

Fast forward two years and Gatot is one of the smartest and most confident orangutans in Baby School! He hangs out with Paijo, where they spend all day exploring the forest in the trees, rarely spending time on the ground. He made friends very easily, and he will sometimes nap with his friends in their nests. Gatot often ventures further afield from the rest of the group, and when Baby School is finished for the day it can be difficult to find him! While it is frustrating for the carers to walk around looking for him for ages, it is great natural orangutan behaviour.

Gatot is currently showing some excellent forest survival skills, and can independently find foods in the forest. He eats a lot, drinking two bottles of milk and a bowl of veggies mixed with porridge. He is growing up very fast and is bigger than some of the older orangutans. He always opens his mouth wide for any fruits and veggies he is given!