«Natural disasters not only affect humans, but wild animals can also be killed or seriously injured. If they are orangutans, we are ready to provide them with medical care and release them afterwards at a suitable location.»

Dr Yenny Saraswati
Senior Veterinarian, SOCP Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre, YEL

Fortunate in misfortune – the story of Ramo
In spring, the Indonesian district of Gayo Lues in the province of Aceh was hit by heavy rainfalls and subsequent landslides. In addition to many injured people and destroyed houses, such natural disasters also affect wild animals. This time, a female orangutan was among the victims. The female orangutan, called Ramo (cover picture), had probably been in the top of a tree which had fallen over and was stuck in the mud. The orangutan mother’s baby was nowhere to be found. After an initial examination by local veterinarians, Ramo was brought to the clinic of our Quarantine and Rehabilitation Centre, where she was carefully examined and given medical treatment. She had several broken bones and wounds, especially on her face. Because she was completely exhausted, Ramo was initially given vitamin infusions and her wounds were treated. A more detailed examination revealed a slight brain injury, which needs to be monitored further.

The best medical care

Our clinic at the Centre is well equipped for such cases. We not only provide medical care for orangutans that stay with us because they are being prepared for release into the wild, but also for those that have been confiscated from illegal pet ownership or which have been injured in a human-wildlife conflict.

The treatment of gunshot wounds or cuts is very common when people use violent means to drive the animals from their plantations. Orangutans are often hit by a large number of airgun pellets which cannot all be removed. These pellets are particularly dangerous when they hit the eyes. Three of our orangutans at Orangutan Haven have been blinded in this way.

After confiscations from illegal pet keeping, we often have to treat the animals for malnutrition and gastrointestinal infections. Young orangutans, including those that live in our Centre for long periods of time, are generally susceptible to gastrointestinal infections or suffer from flu or febrile respiratory infections like humans. We routinely do blood tests, take fecal samples, test for viral or bacterial infections and do Covid-19 tests. In the case of more complicated bone fractures, the expertise of a human orthopaedic surgeon from the region has been called upon for some time, as orangutans are more like humans in terms of their physique than our four-legged friends that veterinarians usually treat. All operations are carried out directly in our clinic. After an initial medical check, orangutans that stay with us for a longer period are placed in the quarantine station for three months before they are transferred to a space with other orangutans.