Thank you to everyone who has so generously contributed to our cause during this financial year, as we continue to support the orangutan and forest conservation efforts of Dr Birute Mary Galdikas and Orangutan Foundation International. With the help of our precious donors, we continue to carry out this vitally important work.
*Warning: graphic content following*
Orangutans desperately need your help
In the past year OFI has seen a dramatic increase in the number of wild adult orangutans in desperate situations. We have rescued a larger number of injured wild orangutans than ever before. As the forests of Borneo continue to disappear, orangutans are forced to the ground where they are often subject to conflict with humans who regard them as agricultural pests, as a source of infants for the pet trade, and as meat to eat or sell.
Orangutans are no match for people with weapons. Many of the wild orangutans we have recently rescued are severely injured and need lengthy and expensive medical care to recover. One female has been blinded by shotgun pellets. Another has an infection of the bone which is taking months to heal. Our goal is to rescue all surviving wild orangutans, no matter how wounded or critically injured they are, or how much it costs.
Meet Lintang
OFI rescued wild adult male cheekpadder Lintang on the ground near a palm oil plantation. Our veterinarians were aghast at what they found. Someone had hit Lintang’s head with a machete a day earlier. He had a huge cut on top of his head; the wound was raw, wide open and penetrated right down to the skull. OFI veterinarians sewed up the wound in the field while Lintang was under anaesthesia. Such a catastrophic wound, left untreated, might have eventually left Lintang dead.
Lintang’s recovery has been slow, however we are pleased to report that he is making great progress and his wound continues to heal under the close watch of OFI veterinarians at the OFI Care Centre and Quarantine. Once he has fully recovered, Lintang will be released back into the wild as soon as possible to a safe, secure forest patrolled by OFI staff.
Meet Ahad
Ahad, another adult male cheekpadder, was rescued by the Indonesian Forestry Department and brought to OFI’s Care Centre for immediate emergency treatment. X-rays discovered his left arm was crushed, his elbow was broken, and his body was littered with 26 bullets – 10 of which were found in his head. He was covered in deep flesh wounds; one was so badly infected that it was full of maggots. Incredibly, after a lengthy operation, OFI veterinarians were able to remove 11 of the 26 bullets and suture Ahad’s wounds.
While he is making good progress, Ahad’s recovery will be long, and he will need ongoing treatment including regular wound cleaning and antibiotics to prevent further infection. Unfortunately, Ahad’s elbow injury is so bad he will need orthopaedic surgery in the future to repair the damage to the bone. This operation will be very costly as it will most likely require a team of specialist surgeons to travel to Indonesia to perform the procedure. Until then, we will continue to care for Ahad and make him as comfortable as possible.
We need your support now more than ever
Although it may not seem like it, Lintang and Ahad are some of the lucky ones. With your financial support we can continue our vital work to rescue and care for severely injured wild orangutans like Lintang and Ahad. Your generous donations contribute to the purchase of urgent medical equipment, hospital supplies and the expansion of our Care Centre for the treatment and temporary housing of the ever-increasing number of rescued wild adult orangutans we are caring for.
We desperately need your support. As the end of the financial year is upon us, please help orangutans by making a tax-deductible donation to Orangutan Foundation International Australia. The need is urgent. Together we can give orangutans, one of our closest blood relatives, the life they deserve in the forest.
If you donate by 30th June your donation can boost your tax return, but more importantly, you can help save this critically endangered species, forest ecosystems and Nature for future generations.
We are so grateful for any support you can give. Our work to protect orangutans is as critical as ever and raising funds has never been harder. We can’t do it without you.