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Independence for Betty

Betty arrived at Sepilok after being found alone in the forest without her mother. She needed immediate medical treatment but soon began to recover.

December 2022

Betty

Betty's Malay name (Begia) originates from the word `bahagia’ which means 'happy'. She was found at the age of 2 on the banks of the Kinabatangan River in Sabah. Alone and vulnerable it was clear that her mother had gone and she was in need of rescuing.

Although timid on arrival, Betty soon settled in and made new friends at the Indoor Nursery in no time. A keen climber, she would use the ropes and jungle gym to get as high as possible into the trees.

Two photos of an infant orangutan. One is a close-up of its face as it eats leaves and the other is the orangutan holding onto a wooden pole as it climbs upward.

Now Betty is one of the largest females at Sepilok and has mastered the skills she will need for a successful life in the Sepilok Reserve that surrounds the centre.

Her nest-building has improved to the point where she will make a new one each day to ensure a good night sleep under the stars in the forest. Betty's ability to find her own food in the forest also indicate that she is self-sufficient and ready for a new life in the wild.

An older female orangutan in two photos. One is of her in the trees looking down at the camera and the other is a close-up of its face.

Thanks to the team at Sepilok and their rehabilitation program, orphaned orangutans are given a second chance at life in the wild which we couldn't do without your support. Thank you so much for adopting - we hope that you will consider continuing your sponsorship with another orangutan on the scheme.

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