An important part of an Orangutan’s daily routine is the building of a ‘night nests’, the place they spend their nights in.
The builder must first choose a good position in one or more trees. They then must prepare a foundation by bending a couple of large branches to create a supportive structure for the rest of the mattress, which is made by bending and intertwining some smaller branches. As the nests are usually built 10-20 meters off the ground, the structure has to be very solid!
A blanket and a pillow made out of leafy branches are also often added. Orangutans often bite the ends of the twigs used to make their pillows, probably to soften them. Sometimes (often on rainy days) they even build a roof above their nests using additional branches!
Young Orangutans learn this behavior by watching their mothers build nests and they start practicing this skill years before sleeping their first night alone in their own nest.
Watch this adult male make his nest at Suaq!
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📷: SUAQ Team