We’re so proud to have funded a new medical clinic in Borneo’s Lamandau Reserve, which you’ve helped to support since 2007.
Lamandau Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary in western Central Kalimantan, where our friends at the Orangutan Foundation, carries out orangutan reintroduction and biodiversity protection. The team rescues orangutans from conflict situations in nearby farms and villages. After being rescued, these orangutans require immediate veterinary care, but there was nowhere nearby to take them, until the new clinic opened in October 2022.
The clinic is being operated jointly between the Orangutan Foundation’s veterinarians and the Indonesian Government’s Conservation Agency (the BKSDA). The clinic is already proving how vital it is, and not just for orangutans. Within the first few weeks of the clinic being open, it has been incredibly busy caring for a wide range of rescued wildlife.
To start with, the BKSDA had discovered a consignment of illegally trafficked wildlife including a tortoise, cockatoos, parrots, and a cassowary. Unfortunately, three of the birds had already died so necropsies had to be carried out. Others needed urgent treatment, including the king cockatoo, who needed treatment on its eye. It is hoped that after the perpetrators are brought to trial, the animals can be released back into their natural habitat.
Not long after that, the team received a report of a young female sun bear caught in a snare close to an oil palm plantation. The rescue was so urgent that although it was already night-time, the team travelled to the site to rescue the bear. Judging by the wound, they thought the bear had been in the trap for at least three days as her foot was badly damaged.
The bear was taken to the clinic, and after examination, it was found the tissue beneath the snare wound was dead and coming off the bone, so they decided that sadly, the leg needed to be amputated. The vets are confident of a full recovery and expect the bear, who they’ve named Bella, can be released back into the wild, even with three legs. Many animals have been known to survive with just three legs, and being free is a better option for wild animals like Bella.
It’s only with the ongoing support of generous people like you that we were able to provide funding for the clinic - thank you! We are very proud to be able to fund this critical care for all wildlife.
