Orangutan Mother Teaches Son Survival Skills | BBC Parenthood

Orangutan Parenting and Knowledge Transfer

• 🌳 Orangutan mothers possess encyclopedic knowledge of the forests, including which plants are safe to eat and where to find them.
• 📚 This vital knowledge is passed down to their young through daily lessons.
• 🍃 Today's lesson focuses on a pandanus plant, an excellent source of food to start the day.

Bias's Training and Dependence

• 👩‍👦 Bi, an experienced mother, has been teaching her son Bias for the last 7 years.
• 🌳 Orangutans are mostly solitary, so Bi must learn to survive on his own, requiring Bi to show him where to find over 300 different kinds of food.
• 🐜 While Bias isn't brave enough to try termites yet, he is paying attention to these nutrient-rich supplements.
• 🥭 He still relies on his mother to find the best food, even when there's an abundance of other leaves.

Approaching Independence

• 🌳 Large fig trees, when in season, are a crucial food source, and mothers like Bi know when to visit.
• 🎓 Bias is nearing the end of his training and will soon need to become independent.
• 💔 Leaving his mother will be a difficult moment, and he is not quite ready for it yet.