Adelaide Zoo: Behind the scene with the Orangutans: Keith explores the Rainforest Experience at the Adelaide Zoo in the Adelaide City region of South Australia
The Adelaide Zoo is a perennial favourite. But, if you haven't been for a while, prepare to be amazed. A decade of green makeovers makes the zoo experience much more enjoyable - for us of course, but especially for the animals.
You need look no further than the lush Immersion Rainforest Experience. Where once the big cats prowled behind bars we now get to the animals in their environment… in their rainforest.
But we are going behind the scenes for a very different experience - a Boileau Orangutan Encounter. We're greeted by Keeper, Emma Yengi who's going to take us to the 'other side' - to the private quarters of the zoo's big Orangutans, Karta and Pusung and their cheeky Siamang flatmates, Suli and Irian.
Our first stop is the kitchen where the animal's daily food ration is carefully prepared and monitored. 'Fresh is best' is the motto here and as in all good kitchens - hygiene is of utmost importance. Genetically, the Orangutans are about 97-point-something per cent the same as us so we need to be extra careful and wash our hands well.
A healthy morning fruit snack at the ready it's time to meet our distant - or was that near cousins? First on the list is the Siamang's night enclosure - complete with hammock.
As I hand feed the pieces of fruit to Irian and Suli, Emma explains that Siamangs are the largest of the Gibbon species. They live in the tropical rainforests of South East Asia and, sadly they're on the threatened list because of ongoing logging and land clearing. The zoo hopes to breed from this pair sometime in the future. "They have bonded very well," said Emma.
Our next stop is Pusung, a male Sumatran orangutan. Emma urges me to take it slowly. "Let him look you over for a while so he's comfortable with you," advised Emma.
We eventually come face to face - only the wire mesh between us. This is contact, close contact! Coming face to face with the 'old man of the forest'. Pusung is 29 years old and he weighs in at about 100 kg.
"He has the strength of about 7 men and the intelligence of a primary school child," said Emma. "A very dangerous combination!"
The Sumatran Orangutan is 'critically endangered' with only three and a half thousand left in the wild. Their natural rainforest environment is also disappearing at an alarming rate due to drought, forest fires and clearing.
While Pusung held us captivated in his night quarters, Karta, the female Orangutan, is out in the enclosure. She prefers to sleep out in the open.
Before long, it's time to open the doors and let Pusung and the two Siamangs out too. Our next stop is the roof of the night quarters - overlooking the enclosure. From up here Emma throws special treats like dried fruit into the enclosure.
There's even a couple of plastic bottles containing popcorn. "Low calories, high activity," explained Emma. The bottles offer stimulating challenges for the animals - they have to figure out how to get the food out!
And seeing it all from behind the scenes makes it extra special. The Boileau Orangutan Encounter is just one of the Adelaide Zoo's behind the scenes activities. It's available three mornings a week from 8.30 and takes about an hour. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
For bookings contact the zoo direct.
Boileau Orangutan Encounter
Adelaide Zoo
Frome Road AdelaidePh (08) 8267 3255
Published 17th June 2007
