On Tuesday morning, Bodat started her day at Forest School as usual. Upon exiting the overnight enclosure tunnel, she climbed straight into the middle and upper canopy with her three companions. As with most of his time at Forest School, the primary objective of his exploration was foraging; wild fruits and young leaves are among her favorite natural food sources. Observations by the Behavior Team indicate that Bodat’s ability to recognize and utilize the natural forage available in the forest continues to improve as she gains more time and experience in the forest environment.
As the weather warms up, Bodat and the group frequently shift their activities to the Forest School area, which is now equipped with structural enrichment features such as ropes and hanging tires. These installations provide them with greater opportunities to move and interact with their surroundings in a variety of ways. Beyond providing opportunities for play, these facilities encourage Bodat and the others to practice climbing, hanging, balancing, and moving between structures using a wide range of movements.
By late afternoon, Bodat and the group usually begin to slow down after spending much of the day exploring the canopy and looking for food. Sometimes they choose to rest on tree branches while watching what is happening around them. At other times, they come down to the forest floor to rest or play together. Bodat is particularly quick to join in when a play session gets started, especially when Annette is the one to initiate it. She rarely needs much convincing and will usually jump right in. The two can be seen walking on two legs while holding onto Annette’s back like a little train, climbing and swinging from hanging tree roots, or simply rolling around on the forest floor together.
The prolonged dry season also left the forest floor noticeably drier. Puddles of mud that would normally become one of their favorite play areas had mostly turned into patches of sand. Bodat, Rosi, and Annette still made good use of the area, often ending their play sessions looking a little worse for wear, with sand, leaves, and grass stuck in their hair—a small reminder of just how active their time on the forest floor can be.
After last month’s successful overnight trial with Bodat and his group, the SOC Team continued the trial and observation during a full Forest School session. As part of this process, Bodat, Rosi, Annette, and Piet now receive their afternoon milk and food at the feeding platform at around 4:00 p.m., allowing them to remain in the forest as the session continues into the evening. Their behavior and adaptation during these overnight trials are closely monitored by the SOC Behavior and Keeper Teams.
Beginning at around 5:00 p.m., all four were still active around the feeding platform. As the light began to fade and their activity slowed, each individual started looking for a comfortable place to spend the night. Although they have not yet been observed building nests, all four have shown that they can identify suitable and secure places to rest in the forest. Throughout September, Bodat, Rosi, Annette, and Piet had successfully spent 5 nights in the forest as part of their ongoing rehabilitation and behavioral observation.
Bodat also remained in good health. She continued to be active during Forest School, maintained a good appetite, and showed no signs of health problems during routine monitoring. Toward the end of the month, rain began to fall after the prolonged dry season. The changing weather brought different conditions to the forest and gave Bodat and her group another opportunity to experience and adapt to changes in their environment.
For Bodat, each day at Forest School brings another opportunity to explore, forage, play, rest, and gradually become more comfortable navigating the forest around her. As the team continues to monitor her behavior, every overnight trial and every new experience provides valuable information that helps guide the next steps in her rehabilitation journey.
Bodat
Bodat
Bodat
Bodat
Bodat
Bodat