
A 20-year-old orangutan that had been locked up in a tiny iron cage in a villager’s backyard in Indonesia has been rescued.

Veterinarians from the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) found the starving and emaciated animal in north Sumatra. It had been kept in a small enclosure behind a village house.

The orangutan was anesthetised using a blow-dart and treated by the veterinarians before being taken away for rehabilitation at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme.

Officers of the Natural Resources Conservation Centre were also used in the operation. The orangutan will be quarantined for a period of time before being helped back to health. It was not clear how long the animal had been kept captive in the cage.

The OIC is dedicated to the conservation of Sumatran orangutans and their habitat. They promote public awareness this critically endangered species and its unique habitat through grassroots educational programs.

OIC was founded in 2001 by a group of dedicated Indonesian conservationists in Medan.

It is an innovative program which supports environmental education and orangutan protection through the participation and empowerment of local communities.

A veterinarian from the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) used a blow-dart to anesthetise the 20-year-old orangutan

The orangutan had been locked up in a tiny iron cage in a villager’s backyard in north Sumatra, Indonesia

The veterinarians gave the orangutan a thorough medical check-up while it was anesthetised

The starving and emaciated animal was found in a small village in north Sumatra, Indonesia

OIC veterinarians and Officers of the Natural Resources Conservation Centre helped the animal out of its cage

After being treated by the veterinarians the orangutan was taken away for rehabilitation at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme

The orangutan will be quarantined for a period of time before being helped back to health