Darril & Liti’s Orangutan Love Affair Put to the Test Love Nature
Transcript
00:00 Back at Nyaru Menteng, there's an emergency arrival.
00:04 An 11-year-old female has been brought back from one
00:06 of the pre-release islands.
00:09 Clara was a clever student, one of the first chosen
00:12 from her group to go to a pre-release island.
00:14 She'd been living there for just eight months
00:21 when she gave birth to a baby girl.
00:23 Wild orangutans don't usually give birth
00:28 until they're around 14 years old.
00:32 As a precaution on the crowded island,
00:35 Clara had been given a contraceptive implant.
00:37 But little did they know, when they transferred her,
00:43 she was already pregnant.
00:44 In a bizarre turn of events, Clara's one-week-old infant
00:52 was snatched from her by a dominant male on the island.
00:56 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
00:58 He treated the newborn gently, but wouldn't give her back.
01:01 After three days, the teknisi had to tranquilize him
01:10 to retrieve the infant, which they
01:12 brought back to the nursery.
01:14 Soon, the vets will attempt to reunite mother and daughter.
01:25 But there's no guarantee it will work.
01:27 Over at Forest School Group 3 by the stream,
01:36 an older student from Group 5 is playing hooky
01:39 to join the younger kids.
01:41 But her actions are very unexpected.
01:46 Nine-year-old Rinto is one of the oldest females
01:54 in Jungle School.
01:57 And it seems as if she's practicing parenting.
02:00 It's possible she has memories of her own mother.
02:07 And little Kajura appears to be happy to play
02:13 Rinto's baby for the day.
02:24 While surrogate parenting and even friendship
02:27 rarely happen in the wild, at Nyaru Menteng,
02:31 these bonds can provide comfort and security
02:34 as the students progress through Forest School together.
02:37 But sometimes, as with humans, one individual
02:49 can be a bit too domineering.
02:52 [WHISTLING]
02:54 Darrell and Litti have been inseparable
02:57 for some months now.
02:58 The much larger Darrell seems quite possessive
03:07 of his little girlfriend.
03:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:11 So when Litti spies others playing on the jungle gym
03:26 and wants to join them, it's surprising
03:30 that Darrell doesn't object.
03:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:35 Litti plants herself right in the middle.
03:41 [WHISTLING]
03:48 But Darrell's jealousy quickly kicks in.
03:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:02 He decides enough is enough.
04:11 It's clear he's in charge.
04:24 There'll be no fun and games without him.
04:28 What's not clear is how long Litti will put up with it.
04:31 As the school day draws to a close,
04:40 Jumbo, Benny, and all their classmates
04:43 retrace their steps back toward their sleeping cages.
04:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:56 At nursery school, the wheelbarrow school bus
04:59 rolls out, while class clown Valentino
05:10 remains true to form as the forest school kids
05:14 frolic home.
05:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:19 [YELLING]
05:22 It's not time for bed yet, though.
05:34 Every day after school, there's a final recess
05:37 in the playground.
05:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:45 This is where students from all of the groups mingle
05:52 and let off some steam.
05:53 Most of the play is harmless fun.
06:02 But like all schoolyards, there's the occasional bully.
06:06 Four-year-old Yoko wants three-year-old Madara's
06:11 coconut.
06:13 [YELLING]
06:15 But the youngster's not giving it up.
06:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:20 Valentino's had a difficult day at school.
06:31 He couldn't open his coconut, and he
06:33 couldn't get at the fruit kebab.
06:36 He's at risk of falling behind.
06:40 But now, while his classmates play, he practices his tool use.
06:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:49 And his persistence finally pays off,
06:55 with sweet honey water hidden inside the balance beam.
06:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:01 This is a big step forward for little Valentino.
07:08 Maybe the class clown's future will be bright after all.
07:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:14 Meryl is exhausted.
07:22 And finally, it's time for bed.
07:25 Benny, Lala, and Valentino, with his security sack,
07:34 tumble into their dorm.
07:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:38 But there's always one who fights bedtime.
07:48 [SQUEAKING]
07:51 Jumbo's not quite ready for sleep yet.
07:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:58 [DOOR SLAMS]
07:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:02 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
08:06 (toy squeaking)