Dr. Cecilia update

Wednesday 2nd June 2010

 

As part of Orangutan Appeal UKs’ ongoing efforts and long term commitment to provide practical help and support to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo, we have funded the placement of a resident Malaysian vet at the Centre, to care for the orphaned orangutans. 

Dr. Cecilia started working for the appeal after she graduated the University of Malaysia and has been very busy attending to the orphaned, rescued and ex captive orangutans at the Centre as they progress through the rehabilitation process. Dr. Cecilia had no previous experience of working with orangutans, and therefore this has been a challenging learning experience for her. However the benefits have been many and great, not only in terms of Dr. Cecilias development, but to the numerous orangutans who have needed medical care and attention.

Dr. Cecilias first challenge was to save the life of a young orangutan who arrived at the Centre after the Wildlife department received a report that a baby orangutan was being kept as a pet by a guard on a palm oil estate in Pintasan.  At first it was thought this tiny male orangutan was only a few months old because he was so small, but after his initial health check Dr. Cecilia found he already had teeth which showed he was much older.  She also found him to be extremely malnourished, dehydrated and anaemic.  Dr. Cecilia immediately placed him in the Intensive Care unit, where he was cared for and monitored 24 hours a day.  

Shortly after the babys arrival Dr. Cecilia noticed he was having difficulty breathing, so she immediately arranged for oxygen to be administered and set up a drip feed to help rehydrate him.

During these first weeks it was touch and go whether this tiny orangutan would pull through, but Dr. Cecilia ensured that he received round the clock care with staff taking it in turns to help him sit up and drink his milk, and his condition was monitored every hour.  Gradually he regained his appetite and his breathing improved.  The staff were so delighted that he was recovering they named him Ceria, the Malay word for ‘very happy’ .

We are delighted to say that Ceria is now a very cheeky healthy little boy weighing nearly 13kg, and climbing and learning fast, and that this is thanks to Dr Cecilias quick thinking and conscientious attention.

In addition to Dr. Cecilias on site duties at the Centre, every month she travels to the Tabin reserve, over 7 hours drive away to check on the health of the rehabilitated orang-utans who have been released to enjoy a life of freedom in the forest.  

During one of her first routine visits to carry out health checks on four released orang-utans - Brock, Toby, Tompong and Suzanna -  Dr. Cecilia discovered Brock was having difficulty climbing and foraging for food.  Dr. Cecilia arranged for Brock to be returned to the clinic at Sepilok and to be taken to the local hospital for X-rays.  Brock’s X-rays showed that his leg was in fact fractured!  Dr. Cecilia set his leg and encased it in plaster whilst the healing process begin.

On another visit to Tabin it was Tompong who was found to be unwell.  Tompong, a 7 year old female, looked unhappy and on closer inspection was found to have lost weight and be very weak. Again Dr. Cecilia acted quickly, and had Tompong carried out of the reserve by one of the research assistants and taken to Sepilok for a thorough health check.  Dr. Cecilia put Tompong on a special weight gain programme to build up her strength and it was not long before she was fit and well enough to return to Tabin, and rejoin her best friend Brock who was again living free in the forest!

Dr. Cecilia has continued to expand her skill and experience, and was tested again with another emergency when one of the older orangutans at the Centre, Austin began to show symptoms of a very serious illness for orangutans, meliodosis.  The bacteria which cause this illness lives and thrives in the humid conditions and wet soil of the forest. Once infected an orangutan can become very sick very quickly, and may even die if not treated in time.  This condition causes abscesses on the internal organs, but can be treated if recognised in time.  Dr. Cecila took blood tests from Austin which confirmed the condition and was able to administer the antibiotics and medicine he needed before his condition deteriorated any further.  Fortunately, because Dr. Cecilia had recognised the symptoms promptly, he slowly began to recover!

Dr. Cecilia has also been busy setting up a system of weekly monitoring of the babies who live in the nursery at the Centre. They are weighed and checked for temperature and diarrhoea and any other signs of ill health they may display. Each month they are tested for malaria as this is a very serious disease for them, which again can kill.

Sepilok would not be able to care for these infants and make such a good job of rehabilitating them if it were not for the dedicated staff at the Centre and Dr. Cecilia is certainly proving to be a huge asset. 

It will be interesting to hear what Dr. Cecilia encounters over the next few months and we will keep you informed.