After bringing you the heart-breaking story of Didik the orphaned baby orangutan just two days ago, we can now bring you a positive update on the progress of the young ape.
After being rescued and taken to the IAR orangutan centre, Didik was immediately quarantined to give the vets the chance to cure his illnesses. He was thin, malnourished, and did not know how to eat as his mother was cruelly taken away from him before he could be taught.
Fortunately, through a bit of ingenuity from the vets at the centre, Didik is now fed a mixture of baby porridge and banana through a syringe and he is beginning to put on some weight. The baby orangutan is still unable to open his mouth on his own, but his healthy appetite bodes well for the rehabilitation process.
It will be a few weeks before Didik is taken from quarantine and into the orangutan pre-school as the veterinary staff at the centre need to ensure that he is completely cured and will not spread disease to the other baby orangutans.
Once he is allowed to join his fellow orangutans he will then be able to begin his rehabilitation programme and hopefully one day be released back into the wild! Good luck Didik!
