Monyo is still undergoing his rehabilitation process at Forest School. In recent weeks, he has become one of the most noticeable individuals, as his increasingly active and energetic behaviour often keeps the surrogate mothers on their toes. His lively antics and strong personality make him stand out among his peers.
Based on recent observations, Monyo spends approximately 23% of his time feeding. The majority of his diet consists of ripe fruit flesh and milk. He is also known as an active player, engaging both in social play with other orangutans and solitary play using objects around him. Monyo demonstrates strong exploratory skills, often using surrounding objects as tools to support certain activities.
Monyo also shows excellent exploration abilities. He has been observed moving confidently at heights of up to 20–25 meters above the ground. This behaviour indicates positive development in both his motor skills and natural arboreal instincts.
At the same time, Monyo has begun to assert himself as a new dominant individual at Forest School. This is evident in his interactions with other orangutans, where he frequently initiates wrestling play and sometimes disturbs smaller individuals by pulling their arms or legs, causing them to cry. These actions go beyond simple mischief; they reflect Monyo’s way of seeking attention from both his peers and caregivers.
Despite being labelled as “naughty,” Monyo possesses remarkable intelligence. He is an independent individual with strong survival instincts. Monyo is highly skilled at identifying and foraging for natural food sources around the Forest School area. When forest fruits are out of season or difficult to find, he quickly switches to feeding on young leaf shoots as an alternative.
Monyo rarely spends time on the ground. Instead, he prefers to stay in the trees, swinging agilely from branch to branch. Thus, this behaviour is a strong indicator that his wild instincts are developing well.
However, Monyo’s intelligence is sometimes used to test the patience of his surrogate mothers. While up in the trees, he may throw objects toward them, or occasionally urinate from above, sometimes accidentally hitting a caregiver below. Most often, when Monyo comes down from the trees, he attempts to secretly steal fruit from the lanjung (feeding basket). These attempts rarely succeed, as the caregivers remain vigilant in guarding the food supplies.
With all his mischievous behaviour and sharp intelligence, Monyo continues to show significant progress. Behind his challenging actions is a young orangutan learning to understand his role, boundaries, and abilities as an essential part of his journey toward independence in the wild.