SAVING MERYL

In the early morning of January 7, 2015 our team from the Nyaru Menteng (NM) Rehabilitation Center and the Conservation of Natural Resources Authority (BKSDA) of Central Kalimantan went to Tumbang Jiga Village after receiving news on the previous day about an orangutan baby kept by villagers. Tumbang Jiga Village is located deep in the remote area of Katingan Regency. This is our first rescue mission this year.

The baby orangutan was found in a very poor condition. She was weak and thin. The owner put her in a lanjung, a Dayak traditional bag made of plaited rattan, usually for carrying crops or firewood. She could barely move inside the bag. She also could not move her right arm because it was swollen.

Meryl Yemima, our veterinarian in Nyaru Menteng quickly lift up the baby, covered her with a warm blanket, and gently carried her. The team managed to confiscate the orangutan and took her to Nyaru Menteng clinic for further treatment. During the return trip, the baby orangutan occasionally let out sobbing sounds inside vet Meryl’s arm. The trip took us around 8 hours.

Initial examination by vet Meryl showed that the baby ages around 8 months, yet she had spent the last 6 months in captivity. She was named Meryl, after our vet who lovingly had taken good care of the baby orangutan from the day she was rescued.

In Nyaru Menteng, little Meryl cannot instantly join the nursery group (a group for baby orangutans). She has to go through a quarantine process to determine her health status. It is our hope that the process goes smoothly and Meryl is given a clean bill of health so she can join her peers in the nursery. Welcome, Meryl!