Jam is the offspring of Sammy and Geri, born in a Hollywood entertainment compound. He arrived at the sanctuary in March 2005 along with several other young orangutans (BamBam and Pebbles) from a California facility devoted to working exotic animals in the entertainment industry.

After a period of adjustment, Jam was re-introduced to his mother, Geri, and his father, Sammy. He and his mother instantly bonded, but Jam is afraid of his huge father and will not go into the enclosure when Sammy is there. So Geri and Jam meet for playtime and grooming when Sammy is out walking in the chutes. Jam also spends much of his time with female orangutan Tango who acts like a protective big sister. At night, he likes to sleep in Tango’s nest cuddled next to her.

Jam is quite engaging with his long, fluffy hair, and he can be gentle at times. However, most of the time Jam is a rowdy boy …and occasionally feisty. He is full of youthful mischief and loves to tease the caregiver staff with pokes and invitations to play tag. But he is always calm and sweet with Tango, his mother, Geri, and his favorite playmate, little Pebbles.

Jam takes breathtaking precision leaps from the 35-foot-tall roof of his outdoor enclosure and loves to swing on the vines in his habitat. In addition to his aerial displays, Jam uses his plastic toys to “sled” around in the tunnel system through the forest.

A big fan of corn on the cob, Jam wants nothing to do with tomatoes.