C A R E G I V E R
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S T O R Y
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Direct from the Bornean rainforest comes a story from OFI’s indigenous caregivers about an orangutan’s unique appreciation of their hobby! Pak Denni, who joined OFI in 2003, describes the amusing encounter. Throughout the years, he has worked at several facilities called “Pondoks” at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine. Now at Pondok Dua, he works with the juvenile orangutans and loves to see how much they learn. His favorite part of the job is joining these young orangutans during their daily releases into the Learning Forest and watching them develop the skills they will need to survive in the wild. It is during this time in “forest school” that the following tale unfurls.
“It was a warm sunny day when we went to the Learning Forest on our daily release with a small group of young enthusiastic orangutans. When we arrived at the Learning Forest, most orangutans made their way up into the trees within minutes. As always, it is a joy to see them in their natural habitat, discovering the canopy. Happily, I and the other caregivers sat on some branches and watched them for a while until a beautiful butterfly caught the attention of Ibu Evi and myself. Gracefully the big butterfly fluttered in circles around us, in and out of the sunlight that entered the Learning Forest from above. Its beautiful wings contained different colors of blue and intense black. If you have been following
the blog on OFI’s website for a while
, you already know that we, at Pondok Dua, have a special thing for photographing the beautiful insects that we come across.
When spotting the butterfly, Ibu Evi and I jumped up from the branch we were sitting on and reached out for our cameras. Quickly but carefully we then followed the butterfly until it landed on a bright green leaf right next to a puddle on the rainforest floor. The butterfly was catching the sunrays with its wings spread wide open. There was no doubt, this would be the perfect picture and I remember jokingly pushing Ibu Evi aside to secure the best angle to shoot from. Slowly I raised my camera and I was ready, set and…a big hairy orange hand appeared on my screen trying to catch the subject of our photo. The butterfly quickly moved its wings and flew away...
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B E A R
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O F
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T H E
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M O N T H
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Coming to the beginning of a new year allows time for reflection. This monthly update is something slightly different, reflecting the diverse range of animals that Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) has rescued or received over the last few years.
Bornean rainforests are home to many other species of large mammals beside orangutans: species that face the same threats as orangutans do, including deforestation and the illegal pet trade. In addition, one of these species, sun bears are particularly vulnerable as poachers hunt sun bears in order to sell their bile for its supposed medicinal purposes. Sun bear bile fetches a “pretty penny” not only in China but also in Indonesia.
In the future we will occasionally feature wildlife other than orangutans as our animals of the month. In this first “Bear of the Month” it seems appropriate to start with Desi, a female adult sun bear living at the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ).
Desi was the first Malayan sun bear that Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas rescued and the first bear to arrive at OFI’s Care Center in Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Dr. Galdikas rescued Desi, a small female adult bear, in 2008 but it had taken her several years to reach that point. Some years earlier a senior staff member had taken Dr. Galdikas to the local zoo where she was horrified at the conditions under which Desi was kept and vowed to rescue her. But it didn’t come easy. This is a story that only Dr. Galdikas can tell and much of the information in this article comes from her...
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J U N G L E
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C O R N E R
Crinoline Stinkhorn
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Common name:
Crinoline Stinkhorn
Scientific name:
Phallus indusiatus
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Taxonomy:
Fungi; Basidiomycota; Agaricomycetes; Phallales; Phallaceae
Threat Status:
There is no conservation status for this taxon.
Distribution:
P. indusiatus can be found in tropical areas including Africa, South and Central America, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Ecology:
Unlike other mushrooms, the P. indusiatus uses pollinating insects to reproduce. It attracts certain species of bees and flies by producing a sticky spore mass called the gleba which is then ingested and excreted by the insects. The gleba is able to attract insects through a pungent odor that closely resembles carrion.
Habitat:
This fungus grows in wooded areas with rich, debris filled soil, bamboo forests, and patches of disturbed ground such as gardens.
Morphology:
Mature fruit bodies can grow up to 9 inches in height with a conical or bell-shaped cap. The cap is covered with the sticky gleba. The delicate lacy “skirt”, or indusium, hangs from beneath the cap and in this species reaches almost to the ground. This skirt can be white to pinkish in color while the cap is often a greenish brown with a lace-like patter that only appears after the gleba has been carried away by insects. P. insdusiatus have short lives, lasting no more than a few days after emerging from the ground.
Interesting Facts:
The mushroom was collected in the wild and featured in the cuisines of several different cultures. However, it is not abundant and so commercial cultivation began in 1979. The mushroom also features in the cultural practices and stories of Mexico, New Guinea, and Nigeria where the foul scent was said to attract hunters who mistook the fungus for an animal.
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S P E C I A L
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O F F E R
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Due to demand, an additional Eco Tour departure date has been added.
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Journey into the rain-forest with renowned primatologist & conservationist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas.
Visit Camp Leakey, the original research site inside Tanjung Puting National Park, with Dr. Galdikas herself!
Click below for more info or to apply.
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S P E C I A L
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O F F E R
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For one week only!
From February 5th-12th, you can purchase a limited edition "I Love Orangutans" t-shirt.
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OFI has partnered with FLOAT - For Love Of All Things to bring you this limited edition OFI t-shirt design. For every shirt sold, FLOAT will donate $8 in support of OFI's programs to protect orangutans and their rainforest habitat.
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D O N A T E
Thank you for your support!
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Thank you for your continued support of Orangutan Foundation International! OFI is a 501(c)3 charity that relies on our supporters to continue important work protecting wild orangutan populations, rain forests, and wildlife in Indonesia.
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Enjoy these stories? Know someone else who would, too? Please share "Eyes on the Forest" with your friends and family!
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Learn more about OFI & our work at our website.
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