Every orangutan is just as unique.
For a Critically Endangered species like the Bornean orangutan, every individual counts. And each of those individuals has a name, a distinct appearance and personality, just like you or me.
For World Orangutan Day 2025, we decided to turn the spotlight on five of Sebangau’s most iconic residents, introducing the primate personalities our field teams have come to know and love. So, without further ado, it’s time to get acquainted!
Meet Gracia
The Super Mum
Sex: Female
Age: Approx. late 30s
First followed: 2005
Gracia is one of Sebangau’s best-known residents and an experienced mother-of-four.
Having successfully raised three offspring to maturity, she currently has her hands full with the two-year-old Gabe. For a Critically Endangered species like the Bornean orangutan, every individual counts – and Gracia’s more than doing her part!
Motherhood is demanding at the best of times, but even more so for an orangutan! Young orangutans remain with their mother for 8-12 years, representing one of the longest developmental periods in the animal kingdom.
Meet Icarus
The Cheeky Chappie
Sex: Male, unflanged
Age: 12-13 (b. 2012)
First followed: 2012
Icarus’s youthful exuberance and mischevious nature make him entertaining to watch – but look out! This cheeky chap has been known to swing low over observers’ heads and pelt them with fruit and branches for his own amusement!
Icarus also has a penchant for messing with our camera traps, taking ‘selfies’ by sticking his face up close to the lens, and even dismantling them on occasion!
Meet Romeo
The Ladies’ Man
Sex: Male, flanged
Age: Early 30s
First followed: 2004
Like his namesake, Romeo is a notorious ladies’ man who’ll stop at nothing to pursue the object of his affections!
One of his first loves was Indy, Icarus’ mum, but the feeling most certainly wasn’t mutual – in fact, Indy would hide whenever she saw Romeo coming! Some guys just can’t take a hint…
More recently, Romeo set his sights on Gracia. She was much more receptive to his advances than Indy and, in early 2023, the pair were seen mating. Nine months later, Gracia gave birth to her fourth child, a son named Gabe. Has Romeo finally become a successful baby daddy?
Meet Hengky
The Survivor
Sex: Male, flanged
Age: Late 30s or early 40s
First followed: 2003
Hengky overcame significant odds by recovering from a near-fatal wound to one of his legs in November 2003. We still aren’t sure whether his injury was sustained fighting with another male or if he was shot by poachers, as gunshots were heard nearby and the incident occurred before Sebangau was declared a nationally protected area, when illegal activity was rife.
His leg was bleeding badly, but Hengky had an ingenious solution. He was seen using jelutong sap (a source of latex) to plug the wound, forming a kind of plaster. While recovering from his injury, Hengky couldn’t move through the canopy with just three working limbs, so he was forced to crawl on the ground and nest in fallen trees. Fortunately, within just a few short months he was back on form, swinging confidently through the treetops!
Unlike the other dominant males in Sebangau at the time, Hengky had a very mellow disposition and was easy to follow. Hengky has also been dubbed ‘the firefighting orangutan’, as he once approached members of our field team during a survey, pinched their mosquito coil and stubbed it out, apparently concerned by the smoke!
Meet Georgia
The Socialite
Sex: Female
Age: 21-22 (b. 2003)
First followed: 2005
Georgia is determined to be everyone’s friend, whether they like it or not!
With the exception of mothers and their infants, Bornean orangutans are largely solitary and rarely seek out other members of their own species. That being said, it seems like Georgia didn’t get the memo! Gracia’s adult daughter, now a mother herself, has often been observed hanging around with other orangutans, despite the mixed reception she receives from older females, who usually chase her away!
Since becoming a mother, Georgia has spent less time seeking out the company of other orangutans – perhaps because her son Gus never gives her a moment’s peace!
It’s not what you’re protecting, it’s who.
Supporting orangutan conservation doesn’t just help to protect a species – it protects individuals, with names and personalities, cultures and family ties.
Will you protect Gracia, Icarus, Romeo, Hengky and Georgia?
