Enrichment parcels

The workin day starts at 8am

when we went to the sun bears area and went in the enclosure giving out food...but this has to be hidden randomly in bushes or trees to both stimulate the sunbears and hide the food from the Macau monkeys who Rob the food quickly
We were able to watch them finding the food . The food consists of, cobs of corn 🌽, pineapple, papaya , peanut butter smeared on the trees and other places in the enclosures , bananas , dog biscuits.
We then collected leaves and create enrichment parcels

The leaves were collected in hessian sacks which we then emptied and cut in half.
The sacks were then filled with some leaves, pineapple, papya ,sunflower seeds nuts and wrapped tightly with string to make parcels...which the sunbears have to unravel to find the treat..they are very adept at undoing thm and the monkeys are just as quick..
There is a male sunbear called joejoe.and a 3 legged one that got caught in a snare.
We we able to distrubute the parcels and it was great to watch them getting into the parcels like children at Xmas.
In the afternoon some of us went to chop ferns with a machete again. The others went felling bamboo trees
On their return we all had chance to slice off the rough bits with a machete and then use a saw to cut the bamboo into sections. At some point the bamboo sections will be used for enrichment purposes for the animals
Whilst at the workshed we noted that there was something going on in the veterinary clinic and went to look ...not sure it was OK to do so ..but was amazing to see an orangutan having surgery. Some volunteers have brought items that would help the project as suggested on the pre trip information.I've been unable to do so with travelling so feel uncomfortable about this but it can't be helped. I may make a donation before I leave.
The weather has been bit cooler as there was a thunderstorm whilst we were chopping ferns for nesting materials as the orangutans make a fresh nest each night . I coped reasonably well with the thunderstorm.
Great fun as ever to stand at the back of the Hilux jeep and duck the tree branches

Everyone enjoyed chatting over dinner and into the eveningLæs mere