Rakus is not only the dominant, flanged male in Suaq, but he also gained worldwide fame when he treated a wound under his eye with a medicinal plant. His story spread around the world, impressing many people who realized how intelligent orangutans are and how similar they can be to humans. This story highlights the importance of protecting the habitat of these fascinating animals.

When Rakus first arrived in our research area, Suaq Balimbing, in 2008, no one could have predicted that he would one day become so well-known. At that time, he was still a young, unflanged male in his adolescent years. He spent a lot of time with the young female orangutans Ellie, Shera, Chindy, and Lilly, and these friendships likely laid the foundation for his later dominance.

For many years, Rakus explored Suaq as an unflanged male, forming friendships not only with females but also with other males. Researchers spent countless hours observing him as he learned and foraged. His distinctive lightning-shaped veins under his eyes made him easy to identify.

Starting in 2021, his face began to change: it became broader, and he developed the typical throat sac of a dominant male. To assert himself in the hierarchy, he had to increasingly confront other flanged males, which also led to the aforementioned injury under his eye. However, thanks to his self-medication with the pulp of a medicinal plant, the wound has fully healed, and Rakus is in excellent health today.

For our project, Rakus is invaluable and demonstrates the importance of protecting the orangutans’ habitat. We have been accompanying him for almost 15 years now and still continue to discover new things about him. His story is like a fairy tale: from a rambunctious, subdominant male to the “King of Suaq.”