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Orangutan regains health despite presence of 64 pellets in body
A medical team has removed 10 out of the 74 pellets that were fired at a female orangutan.
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Hope's health has gradually increased under the care of medical professionals at the Batu Mbelin Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Sibolangit, Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra. (SOCP (Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme)/Castri)
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30-year-old female orangutan that was shot multiple times by a group of hunters during land clearing in Aceh has begun to regain her health.
The orangutan, named Hope, has shown signs of improvement, even though 64 air rifle pellets remain in her body. Her health has gradually increased under the care of medical professionals at the Batu Mbelin Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Sibolangit, Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, managed by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP).
Yenny Saraswati, a veterinarian who treated Hope at the rehabilitation center, said removing the remaining pellets from the orangutan’s body would only worsen her already frail condition.
“The 64 pellets are spread across Hope’s body; removing them is out of the question since it would only worsen her health,” Yenny told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
She went on to say that her medical team had previously removed 10 out of the 74 pellets fired at Hope. Since most of the pellets were stuck in the orangutan’s delicate muscle tissues, removing them would risk further infection, she added.
She said the great ape would still be able to regain her health as long as the pellets were not lodged in any of her vital organs.
“Hope keeps getting better. She is now able to eat normally and hang on her cage as usual,” Yenny said, adding that the medical team was currently focused on treating Hope for psychological trauma.
