Bornean Orangutan Exhibit

Photo taken 12/07/2020.

Bornean orangutan:

1.0 Charlie (21/03/1981)

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I loved the dreadlocks on this orang!

@Tafin When he was younger, he always lagged behind the other male orangutan, Horst (who was a few years older and had more impressive dreadlocks), but eventually matured into an impressive looking male.

@Zoofan15 Just because he was younger than Horst or for another reason?

@Tafin The development of secondary sexual characteristics (e.g. cheek flanges) on a young male orangutan can be inhibited if they are within the territory of a dominant male. Horst was the eldest by three years and was able to develop uninhibited into a mature flanged male.

Horst and Charlie were initially housed together, but separated as Horst entered adolescence and became aggressive towards Charlie. Separating them was enough to allow Charlie to develop into a mature flanged male (which he did); but the presence of Horst may have slightly slowed his development. In turn, the same happened with Isim who matured rapidly after being separated from Charlie in 2005.

@Zoofan15 Cool, that's really interesting. How about the youngest male Orang Madju? Was he affected in this way?

@Tafin It's hard to say as Madju was exported at the age of 10 years to the USA. He had minor growth of his cheek flanges prior starting up. Madju was noted as have a strong personality at from the age of seven was starting to clash with his sire, Charlie. In contrast, Isim remained in Charlie's group without issue until he was eleven.

@Zoofan15 Do they have access to the natural trees also?. Its interesting they have become so active with the new facilities. At Paignton Uk they opened a new orangutan exhibit (island) with a grove of tall willow trees. But the first orangs they had, had spent years living in small cages in London Zoo. They were mainly unable to adapt to the space and hardly ever went outdoors, while the oldest ones just sat on the ground when they did, and never climbed. Later they got a younger pair from Germany(Demo & Mali). They were very active and made full use of the trees- for a few years it was a great exhibit and looked very naturalistic. Eventually they started to wreck the trees though, the foliage died and branches were snapped and they looked very tatty. Then the trees were heavily pruned for the animals' safety and finally the trees died. Now they are just ugly tall trunks. And all from the activity of (mainly) one single pair...

@Pertinax I’m not @Zoofan15 but yes they do have access to the trees, although they tend to avoid them in favour of the ropes and poles that they are used too.

@Jambo Thanks. Paignton's(above) didn't have any( or not many) ropes etc, only the trees.