KEEPING OUR ORANGUTANS HEALTHY

Routine exams help us monitor the general health of the orangutan population at our rehabilitation centres and, if necessary, provide extra veterinary care. The health checks include a wide array of tests: weigh-ins, body measurements, blood and sputum samples, x-rays, eye and dental exams, nail and hair samples, air sac inspections, and heart, lung and stomach auscultations.

Inserting a birth control implant in a young female orangutan

Suppose our vets discover a potentially transmissible disease during these checks. In that case, the infected orangutan will immediately be placed in quarantine to undergo intensive care and avoid spreading the disease.

Another regular procedure for keeping our orangutans healthy our vets perform at the centres is fitting young female orangutans with birth control implants. This is to prevent captive birth, enable female orangutans to pass all levels of the rehabilitation process, and ensure they don’t have to raise an infant in the wild when they are first released and still adjusting to life in the forest.

Usually, birth control implants are inserted at the first sign of menstruation in young female orangutans, and our vets have to replace them every three years. This procedure also applies to our females in the special care unit complex. While they will likely never be released, we still endeavour to provide them with the best care possible and a comfortable life that suits their needs.

If you would like to support our work, please consider adopting one of our orphaned orangutans. Thank you!