WATCH ABOVE: International Animal Rescue released a public service announcement detailing Udin’s ordeal.
International Animal Rescue says it has come to the aid of yet another orphaned orangutan. But be warned, this baby’s story might melt your heart.
A representative from IAR told Global News that the organization believes little baby Udin’s mother was killed by poachers in the Bornean rainforest — a direct result of ongoing deforestation in the area.
“It is likely he was torn from her warm body as she lay dying and was then sold as a pet to a local farmer,” a statement reads on the charity’s website.
Udin spent a short time as a pet — locked in a dark cage with no love or affection coming his way, the organization said.
“By the time our team rescued him, Udin showed no interest in his surroundings and would not even look at the rescuers trying to save his life,” IAR posted on Facebook.
Robin Fegan, the charity’s Development Director, told Global News on Friday that veterinarians believed Udin’s life was in jeopardy.
“We know that — because it’s our vet’s dealing with him — he could have gone the other way,” Fegan explained. “He was very fragile, very malnourished. From the vet’s expertise, they thought it was very much touch-and-go.”
“He had virtually given up the will to live.”
The organization published a public service announcement Thursday detailing Udin’s story and asking for donations to help fund the primate’s rehabilitation. International Animal Rescue is a charity that completely relies on donations to operate, with much of those originating from the United Kingdom where IAR is based.
The video detailing Udin’s ordeal is currently trending online. It’s been viewed nearly 39,000 times on Facebook and YouTube at this writing.
Udin, technically classified as a ‘Pongo Borneo,‘ is a classic example of what IAR’s Ketapang facility witnesses every day. A seemingly displaced orangutan – with nowhere to go and no food to survive. All because their trees were cut down.
“They might migrate into villages or get picked up by farmers and miners,” Fegan explained. “The adults are killed because they’re big and strong and nobody can look after them. The orphans are taken in, kept in somebody’s backyard or something for a certain period of time in horrible conditions and not fed properly.”
“Eventually we find out about them and go pick them up.”
IAR is currently looking after over 80 orangutans at their Ketapang location with the mission of full rehabilitation — something Fegan claims can take years — and an eventual return to the wild.
As for Udin, he’s slowly coming around, the organization said. Consistent interaction and a lot of love has brought a tiny spark back to his eyes. But he still has a long road ahead.
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