The shocking discovery of a blind orangutan riddled with air rifle pellets and on the verge of death has highlighted the ongoing plight of the endangered species.
Tengku, an adult male orang-utan, is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of a veterinary hospital after being rescued by workers from the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) in Sumatra, Indonesia last Saturday. He is one of many orang-utans to have been injured, trafficked or killed by poachers in the region.
Workers from the OIC — a non profit organisation — and Gunung Leuser National Park found Tengku with a “prolapsed anus … most likely a result of being shot in that area by an air rifle” in the area of Batu Katak.
“The orangutan was roaming in plantation in Batu Katak village for weeks until our team discovered the orang-utan needing help,” a statement from the OIC read.
“As soon as we sedated the orang-utan safely, our team sent the orang-utan to Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) quarantine for further medical check and treatment.”
This excerpt from a news article appeared in and is courtesy of news.com.au and can be read in its entirety here.
The Orangutan Conservancy is pleased to help support the work of OIC and SOCP.
