Name meaning: ‘Eclipse’. It is Indonesian traditions to name male babies born on an eclipse ‘Gerhana’. On 31 January 2018, as there was an eclipse this underweight and mostly hairless little creature arrived at the ORANGUTAN FOREST SCHOOL, which is conducted by our partner Yayasan Jejak Pulang in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. As the moon re-emerged from the shadow, we felt it symbolised a rebirth and a new start for Gerhana. 

Born in 2017

Bio: When Gerhana arrived at the FOREST SCHOOL, he was critically malnourished, dehydrated and constipated. He had been kept in a small cage built for a cat, within an empty room. He had a strong fever and showed flu symptoms. He was close to death. It took intensive medical care and 24h a day supervision to bring him back to good health.

Currently Gerhana is in Level 2, but since he started to sleep in nests in the forest instead of returning to the night cages, Gerhana is in the process to be transferred to Level 3. He is a healthy, active little boy who loves to swing from branch to branch, tree to tree - something he does with ease. When the keepers find a tree with food, he moves like lightning to reap the rewards. He gets well with all the other orangutans and loves to eat! As he was so underfed when he arrived, this is a blessing, and we love to see his little belly grow and his hair return to his body. 

Gerhana still has a bullet from an air rifle embedded in his lower left shoulder - possibly the remnants of the conflict that killed his mother. Luckily, it is not disturbing his health, but we may need to remove it as he grows older. 

Favourite past-times: Besides eating, which he loves, Gerhana loves playing with the jungle furniture - he is often seen with a big leaf draped over his head like a floppy hat!