Orangutan Jungle School And So It Begins... (Full Episode)
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:44 Every morning, a small riverside community
00:48 in central Kalimantan, Borneo rumbles to life.
00:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:55 The commuters are caretakers and teachers
01:03 at a local school, which happens to be one of the most
01:09 unusual in the world.
01:13 It's called Nyaru Menteng.
01:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:18 The lessons taught here aren't in math or science, though.
01:32 They're in survival.
01:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:41 And the students are orphan orangutans.
01:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:06 7 AM marks the beginning of the school day.
02:10 And these students, aged from two to eight years old,
02:14 are anxious to get to class.
02:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:19 The teachers often wear masks to avoid passing on human germs
02:34 to their students.
02:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:38 Three-year-old Madara is in a hurry this morning,
02:44 closely followed by Mumut and Lala.
02:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:49 Valentino is gate monitor.
02:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:55 Meryl starts the day with a tummy slide.
03:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:02 And Kujura won't leave without her comfort sack.
03:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:08 These kids in elementary groups one and two
03:12 sometimes form a conga line to get to class.
03:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:18 Five-year-olds Chinta and Jumbo are
03:29 first out from the older gang.
03:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:33 They all know the drill and tumble out
03:36 in a furry orange avalanche.
03:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:41 Morning assembly is a chance to catch up with their buddies,
03:47 as these orphans have very deep bonds with each other.
03:50 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:54 Three-year-olds Eutris and Madara
03:56 were both rescued as orphans at just a few months old.
03:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:03 If their mums had survived, they both
04:06 would have been suckled and carried
04:07 for the first years of their lives
04:11 and stayed with their mothers until they were around eight,
04:17 because there is so much to learn.
04:20 Orayatan infants have a long dependency on their mothers,
04:24 like humans do.
04:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:28 These youngsters should all still
04:30 be living with their mothers.
04:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:34 But as forests in Borneo are decimated,
04:38 and adult orayatans killed by plantation owners and poachers,
04:43 this species is on the brink of extinction.
04:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:49 But these are the lucky ones, who have a chance
04:53 for a future in the wild.
04:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:59 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:01 The Nyaro Menteng Orayatan Jungle School
05:04 began in 1999 with just a handful of orphans.
05:07 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:10 Currently, there are 68 in class,
05:13 divided into five groups according
05:15 to their age and skills.
05:17 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:19 And they follow a well-honed curriculum.
05:22 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:27 Groups one and two take class close together.
05:31 Group three is on its own.
05:33 And groups four and five head deep into the jungle.
05:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:38 Three-year-olds, Valentino and Yutris,
05:41 know which teacher to follow and head off
05:43 with their mates to group one.
05:45 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:50 Everyone pairs up with their buddy for the walk to class.
05:53 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
05:56 But in their neediest moments, hand-holding
05:59 with their specially-trained babysitter is very popular.
06:03 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
06:07 It's just a short walk from the elementary dorms
06:09 to the group one and two classrooms.
06:12 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:15 [ORAYATAN SQUEAKING]
06:18 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:22 First lesson of the day is buayo.
06:24 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:27 Or fruit time.
06:29 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:32 Orayatans naturally spend up to six hours a day
06:38 foraging for food.
06:40 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:42 So breakfast doubles as a perfect learning opportunity.
06:45 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:49 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:52 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
06:56 This morning's lesson is in coconut cracking.
07:01 Orayatans learn from example, so their caregiver
07:04 shows them how it's done.
07:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:10 Mumut, a little male, catches on immediately,
07:16 while Valentino has a more interpretive approach.
07:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:24 With his distinctive pale belly stripe,
07:28 Valentino is the class clown of forest school group one.
07:31 What he lacks in technique, he makes up for in exuberance.
07:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:43 But when the puzzle proves too hard to crack,
07:49 Valentino does exactly what he would do if he was in the wild,
07:55 asks mum for help.
07:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:01 Valentino was found alone in a forest as a baby
08:04 after his mum was killed.
08:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:09 Babysitter Leta is currently his foster mother,
08:12 and she knows Valentino must learn to do this on his own
08:16 if he's to ever graduate from jungle school.
08:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:25 Nearby, the students of forest group two
08:28 are incrementally more skillful.
08:30 It's not so much age that divides groups one and two,
08:37 but ability.
08:38 Little Meryl has learned how to husk her coconut.
08:46 So she can enjoy the sweet milk.
08:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:54 But not for long.
08:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:58 Opportunistic Valentino moves into share.
09:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:12 He may not be the best at coconut cracking,
09:15 but learning how to reap the rewards of others' hard work
09:19 could be an excellent survival skill.
09:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:28 Three-year-old Benny has a more laid back approach.
09:31 He's exercising his jaws as his powerful teeth
09:38 scrape the coconut shell.
09:43 But there's not a lot of other energy being exerted.
09:45 He doesn't even flinch as Meryl helps herself to his leftovers.
09:53 Little does Benny know that his expanding girth
09:59 hasn't gone unnoticed, and he's about to be put on a diet.
10:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:10 300 feet up the jungle boardwalk is Forest School 3,
10:15 the orangutan equivalent of middle school.
10:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:22 The caregivers still teach formal lessons here,
10:25 but these students are given more freedom
10:27 to figure things out on their own.
10:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:34 Today, the class visits a small forest stream.
10:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:41 And the pupils discover coconuts can come
10:43 in quite handy after a meal.
10:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:48 You can drink from them and even bathe with them.
10:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:57 Three-year-old Weeboo has got this down,
11:02 except for that annoying drip in his ear.
11:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:10 There's nothing like a good scrub to start the day,
11:16 but this isn't a natural behavior.
11:20 Like many of the orphans in Forest School,
11:23 Weeboo was kept as an illegal pet.
11:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:27 By the time he was rescued at one year old,
11:31 he'd learned to mimic his owner's behavior.
11:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:36 Despite this unnatural start in life,
11:40 Weeboo's gift for copying what he sees is an advantage.
11:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:48 And when he turns four, he'll likely
11:51 be promoted to group four, the jungle school
11:55 equivalent of junior high.
11:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:01 Another 200 yards up the boardwalk,
12:04 the group four and five classroom
12:06 appears strangely empty.
12:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:10 But that's because learning here happens higher up.
12:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:23 Orangutans are the largest tree-living species
12:26 in the world.
12:26 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:30 These four- to eight-year-olds already weigh around 66 pounds,
12:36 and adult males weigh up to 300 pounds.
12:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:43 They spend most of their lives above ground,
12:46 as they forage for the nearly 300 different fruits that make
12:50 up the bulk of their diet.
12:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:54 These older students are truly on their way to becoming wild.
12:59 But then comes the call they still love to hear.
13:02 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
13:18 It's milk time.
13:19 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
13:26 They may be in junior high, but they still
13:29 love to drink their milk.
13:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:33 In the wild, orangutans can nurse until they're
13:36 almost eight years old.
13:37 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
13:40 So these teenage orphans can be quite demanding.
13:43 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
13:52 Five-year-old Jumbo tries to convince his babysitter
13:55 that he's missed out.
13:56 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
14:01 Can this face tell a lie?
14:03 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
14:06 Has this mouse had milk in it?
14:08 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
14:13 But irresistible as he is, babysitter Ursula
14:17 knows him too well.
14:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:21 There's real affection between her and Jumbo,
14:24 but she won't always be his caregiver.
14:26 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
14:30 The staff rotate regularly to avoid too much attachment,
14:36 as the end goal is to prepare all the orangutans for a life
14:39 in the wild on their own.
14:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:50 For the youngest residents of the Orangutan Jungle School,
14:54 that day seems very far off.
14:56 Just over a mile up the road is the Nyaru Menteng Nursery
15:02 School.
15:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:08 This is where the youngest orphans begin their journeys.
15:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:18 Cuddling together in these baskets
15:20 takes the place of their mom's arms at night.
15:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:31 At 6 AM, Rona has a bad case of bedhead.
15:34 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:39 Mima is ready for anything.
15:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:43 And Bawan and Napri are good to go.
15:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:50 Diapers are used overnight for the same reason
15:53 human babies wear them.
15:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:57 And every morning starts with a bottle.
15:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
16:03 In the wild, these 2 to 18-month-olds
16:06 would be nursing numerous times throughout the day and night.
16:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
16:16 Here in the nursery, the infants drink a special soy milk
16:20 formula, which is better for their digestive systems
16:22 than cow's milk.
16:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
16:29 These babies may be small, but they already
16:32 have big personalities.
16:34 [BABY CRYING]
16:39 There's enough formula to go around,
16:42 but Bumi wants to dominate the bottle.
16:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
16:53 Breakfast has got 11-month-old Kalanis all fired up.
16:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:00 A human baby of this age wouldn't have as many teeth.
17:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:06 But there's something similar about the game
17:08 he plays with his surrogate mom.
17:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:16 Luckily, the school day for the nursery kids is about to start.
17:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:22 Time to get on the bus.
17:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:31 These orphans have no mother's back to cling to,
17:36 but this does look kind of cozy.
17:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:45 The caretakers wheel Kalanis and the others
17:48 to class, where they're divided into two main groups.
17:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:54 Jelapat and Talakan go to the biggies group
17:57 for one- to two-year-olds.
17:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
18:02 And then there's the littlies for those younger than one.
18:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
18:11 Despite their young age, many of these babies
18:14 have already faced extreme hardship.
18:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]
18:20 Littlie student Bumi was found in a forest clearing all alone.
18:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
18:31 He was less than two weeks old.
18:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
18:40 Video shot by his rescuers reveals a helpless infant,
18:49 with the stub of his umbilical cord still attached.
18:52 It's likely his mother had been killed by a poacher.
18:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:00 But thanks to the care he's received here,
19:03 he's now thriving at 11 months old.
19:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:10 Jelapat, who's in the biggies group,
19:12 was rescued when he was one.
19:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:19 Photographs show how he was found living in a dollhouse,
19:23 dressed in a onesie, desperate for contact.
19:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:29 His owner intended to illegally smuggle him out
19:32 of the country on a coal ship and sell him
19:35 to a private buyer for about $150 US.
19:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:41 Rescuers stepped in just in time, and Jelapat was saved.
19:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:50 Now, at two years old, Jelapat even
19:53 has his first girlfriend.
19:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
19:57 18-month-old Talakan and Jelapat are inseparable--
20:01 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
20:03 --until it comes to fruit time.
20:05 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
20:09 Planting fruit in hanging baskets
20:11 promotes searching for food in the trees.
20:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:17 Despite their young age, Jelapat and Talakan
20:20 are already fearless climbers.
20:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:26 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:30 Today's meal consists of yellow santons and green oranges.
20:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:38 These soft fruits are much easier to open than coconuts,
20:42 but still provide a challenge for the youngsters.
20:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:47 Talakan's having a bit of trouble.
20:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:52 So she improvises.
20:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
20:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:00 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
21:04 High in a tree nearby, a swarm of tiny bees
21:07 protects its honey-filled hive.
21:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:12 Mochi is encouraged to investigate.
21:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:21 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
21:23 But he seems reluctant.
21:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:29 Senior supervisor, Mulyono, knows just what to do.
21:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:39 A dab of honey water is the perfect bait.
21:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:54 The honey water is delicious.
21:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:59 But Mochi needs to learn to access the honey
22:02 hidden inside the tree.
22:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:12 Talakan gives it a try, but her finger is just too big.
22:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:21 Fortunately, these tiny bees are stingless,
22:24 so her intrusion doesn't provoke an attack.
22:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:33 Mulyono takes the lesson to the next level
22:35 by introducing a tool.
22:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:50 Orangutans are one of the most inventive tool
22:53 users in the animal kingdom.
22:56 And these baby students are clearly fascinated.
22:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
23:02 But they're still a little way off
23:04 from mastering tool use 101.
23:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
23:14 If all the students at Orangutan Jungle School
23:16 master their skills at every stage,
23:20 when they turn eight years old, they'll
23:23 face their biggest and most important challenge,
23:28 the final stepping stone into the wild.
23:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
23:38 Not far from Nyaru Menteng is a vital outpost
23:41 on the Rungan River.
23:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
23:45 It's a security station manned 24 hours a day,
23:52 because up river lies something very valuable,
24:00 the future of the Borneo orangutan population.
24:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
24:13 Today, Nyaru Menteng staff, called teknisi,
24:17 are preparing to deliver a care package to some remote islands
24:20 in the river.
24:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
24:31 These are known as pre-release islands, the last stage
24:37 of Orangutan Jungle School.
24:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
24:41 Here, teenage students learn to live truly independent lives,
24:47 the final preparation for their return to the wild.
24:50 [MUSIC PLAYING]
24:54 Currently, the islands provide sanctuary for 126
24:58 potential release candidates amongst a jungle
25:02 with an uncertain future.
25:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
25:07 In the last 20 years, the ever-expanding timber and palm
25:11 oil industries have destroyed over 50%
25:15 of Borneo's rainforests.
25:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
25:20 It's this deforestation, slash and burn agriculture,
25:24 and poaching that have led to the need for an Orangutan
25:27 Jungle School to exist at all.
25:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
25:33 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
25:39 The familiar call for fruit time rings out.
25:42 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
25:48 And on the edge of Bangamat Island,
25:50 Orangutans begin to gather on one of several feeding
25:53 platforms.
25:54 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
26:02 The fruit delivery comes daily.
26:03 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
26:07 But it's just a supplement to the food
26:08 these older Orangutans forage for in the jungle on their own.
26:12 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
26:18 Fina is becoming wilder and prefers
26:21 to eat her booty in the trees.
26:23 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
26:33 But Bruni chooses the platform, along with Ping and Lupu.
26:38 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
26:44 The three females are soon joined
26:46 by 13-year-old Jaka, a big dominant male here
26:51 on Bangamat Island, who uses his status to get
26:55 the best seat at the table.
26:57 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
27:01 In the wild, adult males live solitary lives
27:05 and would never sit and eat with a group of females like this.
27:09 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
27:13 These Orangutans won't be fully grown adults
27:16 till they're around 15 years old.
27:19 But this peaceful food sharing is a testament
27:22 to the bonds they forged growing up together as orphans.
27:25 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
27:31 Ro-o, another of the older females here,
27:34 arrives and seems hesitant.
27:38 But Jaka signals that she can join in.
27:40 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
28:03 In the Cannabia bars, female Kadic
28:05 doesn't seem happy to be left out of lunch.
28:07 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
28:11 Her kiss squeaks may sound cute,
28:16 but they're actually a sign of agitation.
28:18 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
28:24 Jaka takes little notice.
28:26 So Kadic leaf wipes her eyes.
28:34 It's a known sign of frustration for Orangutans.
28:39 Rescued when she was 3 and 1/2, Kadic
28:43 was too wild to go to jungle school,
28:45 so she missed out on bonding with her island mates
28:48 when she was younger.
28:49 Now she's reluctant to join the others on the platform.
28:55 But this may not be a bad thing.
29:02 The teknisis watch her closely.
29:03 At each visit, they monitor the Orangutan's behavior.
29:10 [ORANGUTAN YELLING]
29:15 Since 2012, over 250 Orangutans have been chosen from these
29:20 islands to be released back into protected
29:23 areas of true wilderness.
29:29 In the wild, Orangutans are considered semi-solitary apes,
29:34 unlike their highly social cousins, the chimpanzees.
29:37 Adults rarely spend time together
29:42 unless they're mating or females who occasionally
29:46 hang out with related females.
29:47 Kadic and the other pre-release students
29:54 must figure out this specific hierarchy on their own,
29:58 as they would in the wild after they leave their mothers.
30:01 Kadic, avoiding conflict and being opportunistic,
30:09 shows that she's already on the right track.
30:11 Rowo's still hungry, but she's got better table manners.
30:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
30:23 She pulls the branch to her like fruit kebab sticks
30:33 she learned to forage with in jungle school.
30:35 The teknisis' observations of these Orangutans
30:46 will help determine who will be chosen next
30:49 to be released into the wild.
30:51 Over at forest groups one and two,
31:04 foraging lessons are getting creative.
31:05 The caregivers craft a giant fruit kebab.
31:16 Just like the ones Rowo had when she was in school.
31:22 Once fully loaded, they'll hold it up high in the trees.
31:25 But sneaky Valentino's got other ideas.
31:33 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
31:36 He's such a little thief.
31:45 But he and his classmates are going
31:52 to have to learn to climb for their food.
31:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
31:59 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
32:03 The babysitters don't make it easy.
32:07 It may seem like a cruel game, but moving the kebab back
32:17 and forth prepares the youngsters
32:19 to forage in swaying forest canopies
32:21 over 150 feet off the ground.
32:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
32:28 Suchi is the first to nab some of the swaying bounty.
32:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
32:40 Timpa seems perplexed and can't quite figure it out.
33:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
33:03 At last, Valentino decides to enter the game.
33:10 There's nothing wrong with his reach.
33:19 But his timing is a bit off.
33:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
33:30 Pushy classmates don't make matters easier.
33:38 He watches Madara snag some kebab booty.
33:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
33:50 [LAUGHTER]
33:53 Now that's just rude.
34:00 It's the last straw for Valentino.
34:02 He seeks out a shorter route to the fruit.
34:16 But there's no getting around his babysitter.
34:18 He needs to learn the right way to get the fruit,
34:25 and he's falling behind his classmates.
34:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]
34:31 Bold-headed, big-eyed uterus shows little interest
34:41 in the fruit kebab lesson.
34:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
34:46 [SQUEAKING]
34:49 Instead of joining his classmates,
34:52 he heads off into the canopy alone.
34:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
34:57 But this is one time when ditching school
35:04 is a good thing.
35:05 Uterus is actually foraging for leaves on his own.
35:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:16 Even at this early stage of forest school,
35:20 he's applying his lessons on how to live in the wild.
35:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:26 If he can keep this up, little uterus
35:33 could soon be promoted to forest school group two.
35:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:39 [SQUEAKING]
35:42 Meryl seems like she's on a mission as well.
35:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:48 When you spend most of your life in the trees,
35:53 you've got to practice everything.
35:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:58 But she hasn't quite grasped that going to the bathroom
36:05 is one thing that's probably better done while not
36:08 hanging upside down.
36:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
36:13 Back at Nyarumenteng, there's an emergency arrival.
36:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
36:30 An 11-year-old female has been brought back from one
36:34 of the pre-release islands.
36:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
36:39 Clara was a clever student, one of the first chosen
36:43 from her group to go to a pre-release island.
36:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
36:49 She'd been living there for just eight months
36:51 when she gave birth to a baby girl.
36:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
36:56 Wild orangutans don't usually give birth until they're
36:59 around 14 years old.
37:03 As a precaution on the crowded island,
37:05 Clara had been given a contraceptive implant.
37:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:10 But little did they know, when they transferred her,
37:13 she was already pregnant.
37:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:18 In a bizarre turn of events, Clara's one-week-old infant
37:22 was snatched from her by a dominant male on the island.
37:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:29 He treated the newborn gently, but wouldn't give her back.
37:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:37 After three days, the teknisi had
37:39 to tranquilize him to retrieve the infant, which they
37:43 brought back to the nursery.
37:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:48 Soon, the vets will attempt to reunite mother and daughter.
37:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:55 But there's no guarantee it will work.
37:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:03 Over at Forest School Group 3 by the stream,
38:06 an older student from Group 5 is playing hooky
38:09 to join the younger kids.
38:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:15 But her actions are very unexpected.
38:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:22 Nine-year-old Rinto is one of the oldest females
38:25 in Jungle School.
38:27 And it seems as if she's practicing parenting.
38:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:35 It's possible she has memories of her own mother.
38:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:41 And little Kajura appears to be happy to play
38:44 Rinto's baby for the day.
38:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:54 While surrogate parenting and even friendship
38:57 rarely happen in the wild, at Nyaru Menteng,
39:02 these bonds can provide comfort and security
39:05 as the students progress through Forest School together.
39:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
39:16 But sometimes, as with humans, one individual
39:19 can be a bit too domineering.
39:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
39:25 Darrell and Litty have been inseparable for some months
39:28 now.
39:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
39:35 The much larger Darrell seems quite possessive
39:37 of his little girlfriend.
39:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
39:52 So when Litty spies others playing on the jungle gym
39:56 and wants to join them, it's surprising
40:00 that Darrell doesn't object.
40:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
40:09 Litty plants herself right in the middle.
40:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
40:27 But Darrell's jealousy quickly kicks in.
40:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
40:40 He decides enough is enough.
40:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
40:52 It's clear he's in charge.
40:54 There'll be no fun and games without him.
40:59 What's not clear is how long Litty will put up with it.
41:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
41:07 As the school day draws to a close,
41:11 Jumbo, Benny, and all their classmates
41:13 retrace their steps back toward their sleeping cages.
41:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]
41:26 At nursery school, the wheelbarrow school bus
41:30 rolls out.
41:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
41:38 While class clown Valentino remains
41:41 true to form as the forest school kids frolic home.
41:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:00 It's not time for bed yet, though.
42:04 Every day after school, there's a final recess
42:08 in the playground.
42:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:15 This is where students from all of the groups mingle
42:22 and let off some steam.
42:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:28 Most of the play is harmless fun.
42:32 But like all schoolyards, there's the occasional bully.
42:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:39 Four-year-old Yoko wants three-year-old Madara's
42:42 coconut.
42:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:45 But the youngster's not giving it up.
42:47 [MUSIC PLAYING]
42:57 Valentino's had a difficult day at school.
43:01 He couldn't open his coconut, and he
43:03 couldn't get at the fruit kebab.
43:06 He's at risk of falling behind.
43:10 But now, while his classmates play,
43:14 he practices his tool use.
43:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]
43:22 And his persistence finally pays off,
43:25 with sweet honey water hidden inside the balance beam.
43:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
43:33 This is a big step forward for little Valentino.
43:38 Maybe the class clown's future will be bright after all.
43:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
43:50 Meryl is exhausted.
43:53 And finally, it's time for bed.
43:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
43:59 Benny, Lala, and Valentino, with his security sack,
44:04 tumble into their dorm.
44:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
44:16 But there's always one who fights bedtime.
44:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
44:23 Jumbo's not quite ready for sleep yet.
44:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
44:34 Over at nursery school, the babies
44:36 are diapered up and ready for their nightly ritual.
44:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
44:46 Watermelon is a favorite treat after an exhausting day
44:50 of learning.
44:50 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:00 No food goes to waste here.
45:03 When her watermelon is gone, Rona
45:06 uses her leftover juice to ensure her hair
45:09 stays just as she likes it.
45:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:19 Most of the babies are ready for bed in their laundry baskets.
45:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:24 But there's one youngster who hopefully won't be sleeping
45:27 in the baby house tonight.
45:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:32 Outside, vet Argus arrives on a critical mission.
45:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:39 It's been almost a week since baby Clarita
45:41 was separated from her mother.
45:43 And Argus is anxious to reintroduce her back
45:46 where she belongs.
45:47 [MUSIC PLAYING]
45:52 But first, he must assess her as she's
45:54 suffering from a blistering rash caused by the sap of a rainforest
45:58 tree.
45:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:04 Clarita could have contracted the rash
46:06 from sap on her mother's hair or from the male who kidnapped her
46:12 and held her tight for three days with no food.
46:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:18 She's been fed formula but needs her mother's milk and comfort.
46:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:27 Clarita has survived a horrifying ordeal.
46:31 But the ultimate test is yet to come.
46:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:36 Many animals reject their offspring
46:37 if they spend any time away from the parents.
46:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:45 So success is far from guaranteed.
46:47 [MUSIC PLAYING]
46:56 In preparation for Clarita's arrival,
46:59 Clara has been moved to a cage right outside the clinic
47:03 where she and her infant can be closely monitored.
47:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
47:09 But no one knows if she'll accept little Clarita back
47:12 into her arms.
47:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
47:22 This is such a crucial moment.
47:24 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
47:41 If Clara rejects her baby, Clarita
47:45 will become the newest orphan of the Orangutan Jungle School.
47:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
47:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
47:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
48:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
48:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
48:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
48:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
48:14 [Music]