When Kiki arrived at the Center for Great Apes in the summer of 2006, she was extremely obese, having lived for most of her life in a small garage cage that allowed her no freedom of movement. She had been a beloved pet in a private home but grew big to be handled, so was moved to the garage for over a decade. Kiki had reached her full size, and then some. Besides having little opportunity for exercise, she had a wide variety of items in her diet, including many sweets.

Over the past two years, Kiki’s size and mobility have improved. Once able only to waddle, she has proved to be very graceful at a reduced (but still formidable) weight. It takes Kiki only a few seconds to climb from the ground level to the very top of her dome. There she spends several hours a day making nests from fire hose, plastic tubs, and boxes. She eats all her fresh fruits and vegetables with gusto and particularly likes to eat plumbago flowers and leaves.

Before coming to the Center, Kiki had always lived in the garage with another orangutan – the adult male Linus. But, although they grew up in the same private home, they had not been introduced, so living together and sharing space with each other were new to both Kiki and Linus. Despite the fact that sometimes Kiki steals Linus’s food, they now live harmoniously and peacefully together indoors and out.

Kiki is friendly and extroverted and is also being introduced to other orangutans at the sanctuary. Even though she had never had any previous experience with orangutans, the first time she was “howdied” to the younger male BamBam, she confidently handed him some Romaine lettuce through the mesh and then calmly let him touch her face.

Kiki seems to like music, but most definitely does not like loud noises and generally prefers a quiet, tranquil environment. In the evening Kiki enjoys retiring to her hammock with a few pieces of apple or some grapes..