MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2015
We are pleased to announce the winner of our Name Me Contest. Since April 2014, we have identified the same adult female orangutan and her baby returning to our Hornbill Boardwalk. We decided to find a suitable name for both mother and baby orangutans. Therefore, participants were given the privilege to name our residents and provide reasons for selecting those names.
After much deliberation, we’re happy to congratulate Kate Williams from the United Kingdom (UK) for winning our Name Me Contest. Kate has chosen the name ‘Bertuah’ (meaning Lucky) for the Mother orangutan and ‘Hari’ (meaning Day) for the Baby orangutan.
The bond between a parent and a child is one of the strongest connections in nature. We chose the name ‘Bertuah’ for the Mother orangutan and ‘Hari’ for her baby because combining both names to become ‘Lucky Day’ represents their special mother-baby bond. Baby orangutans depend on their mothers for a longer time than any other animal. They will stay with their mothers for an average of eight years, giving them plenty of training for surviving in the rainforest. This training has everything an ape needs to know, from how to climb a tree, how to build a nest, all the way to knowing which fruits in the forest to eat. For the first few years of life, baby orangutans cling to their mothers, not venturing into the trees. As the baby orangutan grows, it moves hand-in-hand with its mother, thus signifying how lucky we are to witness this special bond right in our backyard.
Most of us would use the word ‘Lucky’ whenever something good and unexpected happens to us – it’s not every day our guests get to see a mother orangutan and her baby up close. We believe that both of these names reflect how exotic Borneo wildlife is and how we treasure them because it is truly a Lucky Day for our guests to see them at our lodge and rainforest. Lastly, we believe that both names are simple and memorable, thus leaving a lasting impression – you may remember the mother and baby orangutans when you use the words ‘Lucky Day’.
Kate will receive an orangutan t-shirt, factsheet and regular updates of the mother and baby orangutans together with a certificate of participation.
Sukau Rainforest Lodge would like to thank those who have participated in the contest by submitting beautiful and meaningful names for our Mother and Baby orangutans.