Orangutan in Indonesia Rescued with 74 Air Rifle Pellets in Her Body
By Ryan General
A mother orangutan and her baby, who suffered senseless cruelty at the hands of humans, were recently rescued by Indonesian authorities from a local park.
On Saturday, Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of Aceh reportedly evacuated the pair of Sumatran orangutans from a park in the Bunga Tanjung Village in Subulussalam’s sub-district Sultan Daulat.
While the mother survived, the younger one, aged around a month old, did not last long, according to the Straits Times.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of data and information at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), shared heartbreaking photos of the great apes who were both severely injured from abuse.
Estimated to be 30 years old, the parent, named OU, sustained multiple injuries from sharp blades and 74 air rifle pellets that are found embedded in her body. Sadly, her child died eventually due to severe malnutrition and trauma.
According to Sapto Aji Prabowo, the Head of Aceh BKSDA, they immediately prepared with other agencies for a rescue upon receiving a report about the orangutans last week.
“OU was then taken to the Sibolangit rehabilitation center in North Sumatra. But the baby could not be saved,” Sapto was quoted as saying. He noted that the mother orangutan would be released into the wild once again after her treatment.
Despite efforts of many local and foreign animal activists to save Indonesia’s orangutans, they remain in grave danger not only because they are continuously pushed out of their habitats to make way for plantations, but also due to poaching by locals.
According to Indonesian authorities, baby orangutans are often taken from the wild to turn into pets while the older ones are captured to be sold or eaten.
Featured image via Twitter/Sutopo Purwo Nugroho
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