Three babies rescued
Just last week, we informed you about our first rescue of the year. Shortly after, we were involved in three more orangutan rescues in Central Kalimantan. The three orangutans – Onyer, Ramangai, and one who has yet to be named – are all infants. Their stories are heartbreaking, but at least we know that now they are safe and well taken care of in our Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
The first one, Onyer, was rescued by members of the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA). The wildlife rescue team confiscated the 10-month-old male from a Dahian Tambuk village resident, who later claimed to have found Onyer alone in a forest area not far from his field.
10-month-old Onyer is the first baby we rescued this year.
Upon arriving at Nyaru Menteng, our veterinarians immediately examined the infant and found him in good health. He is currently undergoing quarantine.
On his first day at Nyaru Menteng, Onyer was very nervous. This is understandable, given that he was in a new environment with unfamiliar faces. Onyer was unsettled at night and cried whenever a surrogate mother stood up. Probably out of distress that he might be left alone again.
Thankfully, Onyer has a pretty good appetite and likes to drink milk and eat fruit. He is currently suffering from a mild flu, and our medical team is routinely administering nebuliser treatment to help him recover. Onyer has started playing on the swing and climbing low on the enrichment infrastructure.
6-month-old Ramangai was handed over to us by a resident of the Marikit sub-district in Katingan Regency. A joint team from the BKSDA and the BOS Foundation travelled for seven hours to reach the location.
Tiny Ramangai immediately after his rescue.
According to the local villager who kept him captive, he discovered Ramangai in the forest while hunting for birds. He reported that he was shocked to suddenly see a baby orangutan fall from a tree, without any trace of its mother. The hunter said he felt sorry for the baby and knew that orangutans are protected by law. Therefore, he decided to take the baby home and report his finding.
The villager claimed that he had to carry Ramangai for three days and fed him only coffee and bananas. The poor diet resulted in the baby orangutan becoming severely dehydrated and weak. Once he arrived home, the villager gave him sweetened condensed milk in the hope of boosting Ramangai’s condition. He also reported his finding to the BKSDA, which immediately formed a joint team with the BOS Foundation’s Nyaru Menteng staff.
On the way to Nyaru Menteng, Ramangai was given fluids via an IV, as he was still extremely weak and dehydrated. In quarantine, the little orangutan has been quite restless, especially at night. This is due to the trauma of living without his mother and the new environment full of strangers.
After two days of treatment, the veterinarians could remove the IV. However, Ramangai still has a mild fever, which we are closely monitoring. Unlike Onyer, Ramangai prefers to sit quietly in a basket, supervised by our dedicated surrogate mothers.
The third baby we rescued is luckily in good health.
Shortly after, another baby joined the two orphans. The 9-month-old female was also rescued by the BKSDA team and immediately examined by Greggy Poetra, one of our veterinarians at Nyaru Menteng.
A farmer claimed to have found the baby while he was out fishing. He took care of her for about one week and fed the baby a powdered milk diet before voluntarily handing her over.
Vet Greggy’s exam indicates that the tiny orangutan is generally in good health and that she has a strong appetite for bananas and milk. She is currently in quarantine with Onyer and Rawang while awaiting the results of ongoing tests.
We hope that the three little orphans will make a full recovery during their time in quarantine and can soon join the Nursery Group!
Please consider helping our three new arrivals on their long journey back to the wild.
