Amalia, born in 2011, was rescued in 2017 along with Eska from a private zoo that was shut down by authorities. They were both held in one cage. She was less scared than Eska but avoided eye contact like a wild orangutan. Over the years, she has become more trusting of her foster parents.

After bonding with her new foster parents she was ready for the next chapter and Amalia was moved to the Forest School. Almost immediately she took to sleeping in the forest. While Eska preferred to sleep in his sleeping compartment for several months more, Amalia built nights nests in the canopy and slept under the stars. She also knew much about foods available in the forest, but she had to readjust moving about in the trees. Clearly she had gained weight and grown since she had been captured and stuck in a cage!

With her now 12 years, teenager Amalia is the oldest pupil at the ORANGUTAN FOREST SCHOOL. She is also the most knowledgeable and the most mature. She prefers to spend her time alone and no longer comes to cuddle with her caregivers who are now more body guards than parents to her. A few times she has given them the slip and spent time on her own before deigning to be found again – usually in a patch of nice forest fruit. Recently she has also become interested in small orangutans, and she has a lot of tolerance for 5-year old Gerhana, who is even permitted to steel food from her.

Amalia really loves to make big nests in the trees! And on the ground… she likes to roll her body like an orangutan beach ball!

Together, Eska and Amalia are the first candidates to be moved to the release site this year. At the release site, Amalia will encounter roughly 60% of the forest foods she knows from the Forest School, but 40% she has to learn new. During this transition period she will again be guided by her caregivers. Once she knows the new foods and her way about the release site, we can consider her fully mature and release her back into the freedom of her natural habitat.