BANIR

The construction of the new overnight cage now has been completed, and the process has moved on to repair other cages, such as repainting and welding damaged parts. Due to this maintenance work, Banir has to wait until the repairs are finished before she can be moved from the isolation cage to the overnight cage.

The plan is for Banir to be separated from her mother, Benazir, and integrated into the group with Joss, Artemis, Bondan, and Mongki once she is in the overnight cage. Although they will be separated in the overnight cage, Banir and Benazir will still be released together during forest school sessions to ensure their interaction is maintained. It is estimated that Banir will be moved to the new overnight cage as early as October, depending on the completion of the maintenance work.

Although her mother, Benazir, is often seen taking Banir’s share of food during feeding times, Banir is never deprived. When her portion is finished and Benazir still has food, Banir will ask her mother, and Benazir always shares. This pattern of interaction ensures that Banir gets the right amount of food to meet her needs, keeping her health in excellent condition.

During mealtime, Banir has the habit of distancing herself from her mother after receiving her portion to eat peacefully. Once her food is finished, she returns to the front of the cage to request more from the animal keeper. Banir also shows a unique behavior: if she is still holding previous food when new one is offered, she immediately drops the previous food and switches to the new one. Interestingly, the food Banir drops is always quickly picked up by her mother, Benazir.

Banir also mimics behaviors when the orangutans next to her, Seko and Redi, start banging on their cage doors, creating loud noises. Banir often joins in, hitting her own cage, making the sound even louder. Additionally, Banir interacts with another neighboring orangutan, Sinta. Sinta often passes leaves or leftover vegetables from her cage into Banir’s, which catches Banir’s attention. The two often engage in a brief tug-of-war over the leaves or vegetables, and Banir usually ends up eating what she manages to take.