HAMZAH IS BACK
What a surprise! After a long absence, one of the dominant male orangutans, Hamzah, has finally been spotted again near Camp Lesik in the Kehje Sewen Forest.
Our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team was stunned by Hamzah’s appearance, as the last time they saw him was in 2022. During that previous encounter, he had interrupted a gathering of orangutans that included Sayang and her offspring Padma, as well as Teresa and her offspring Berani. However, this recent sighting was much calmer.
The journey of a dominant male
The BOS team released Hamzah into the Kehje Sewen Forest in 2012. Since then, he has become one of the dominant males in the area. Despite his status, the PRM technicians rarely observed Hamzah’s movements, which adds to his mysterious aura. Therefore, his reappearance near Camp Lesik was a significant moment for our team.
Initially, our PRM team, who was carrying out activities at Camp Lesik, spotted a large brown-furred figure. Mang Usup, one of our senior team members, quickly recognised the orangutan as Hamzah. Fortunately, he did not show any aggression; instead, Hamzah simply observed the camp from a distance, appearing curious about the team’s activities. Without hesitation, our team decided to conduct an observation for two and a half hours to document his behaviour.
As one of the leading males in this area of the Kehje Sewen Forest, Hamzah’s presence signifies a healthy ecosystem. Photo: BOSF | Usup
Grace behind his massive posture
After watching Camp Lesik for a while, Hamzah seemed unbothered by the presence of our PRM team. He calmly made his way toward the surrounding trees to feed. During the observation, the team witnessed Hamzah enjoying the tender young leaves of the Shorea sp. tree.
What amazed our team even more was Hamzah’s agility. Despite his huge body size, he moved gracefully from one tree to another. This was a truly awe-inspiring moment for some PRM team members who had never seen an orangutan as large as Hamzah before. They never imagined that an orangutan of Hamzah’s stature could navigate so elegantly and swiftly through the treetops.
A key figure in the Kehje Sewen Ecosystem
Hamzah’s reappearance is a strong indicator of the high survival rate of rehabilitated orangutans after their reintroduction into the wild. Over the 12 years since his release, Hamzah has thrived and become a dominant figure in the northern part of the Kehje Sewen Forest.
As one of the leading males in this area, Hamzah’s presence signifies a healthy and functioning ecosystem. The forest offers ample food, shelter, and sufficient space for orangutans to thrive and reproduce naturally.
Hamzah’s calm and confident return brings renewed hope and motivation to our conservation efforts. Amid the challenges of protecting orangutans’ natural habitat, this moment symbolises the success of release programs and forest protection initiatives. We are optimistic that Hamzah and other orangutans will continue to live freely and safely in Kehje Sewen Forest.
Please find out more about our orangutan conservation work here.
Photo on top: BOSF|Faldo
