LOVE FOR BARLIAN

In June, Nyaru Menteng welcomed a newcomer who was handed over by an oil palm company, PT. Mulya Sawit Agro Lestari (PT. MSAL) to the BOS Foundation. The young male orangutan was called Barlian. His tiny body was frail as he was suffering from diarrhea.

Orphaned Little Barlian
Little Barlian was reportedly found by an employee of PT. MSAL by a road next to a small forest at one of their oil palm plantation blocks. He was weak, alone and reportedly found without his mother.  The employee decided to take Barlian home and look after of him.

Two weeks later, the employee and his colleagues at PT. MSAL contacted Nyaru Menteng to place Barlian at the rehabilitation center.

Plenty of Love for Barlian
Just like any other new orangutan arriving at Nyaru Menteng, Barlian needed to undergo the quarantine phase so that health checks could be completed. After the results were received and he was declared healthy, Barlian joined the Baby Group with other orangutans his age. Babysitter Puspita is now taking care of Barlian and showers him with lots of love and attention.
Since his arrival at Nyaru Menteng, Barlian has suffered problems with lack of appetite and also he drank less liquids than he should. He also appeared not to be familiar with the taste of fruit, despite the fact this is part of an orangutan’s natural diet.

According to the paramedics, this may have been caused by the human food given to him while being kept  in captivity. Since his food and liquid intake was poor, he was very weak. Patiently, the babysitter hand fed Barlian so he could be encouraged to eat regularly, and also to introduce him to natural foods which he would normally find in the wild.

The Nyaru Menteng Medical Team also did a thorough medical check up and continued to closely monitor his condition to ensure Barlian received all the medical treatment he needed.

Thanks to Puspita who patiently cares for and loves him like her own, Barlian started eating fruit. As a ‘newcomer’, Barlian is very spoiled and inseparable from Puspita. He is still reluctant to play with his peers and asks to be carried by Puspita all the time. For Barlian, the warm and tight hug from Puspita is something he must miss so badly ever since he was separated from his mum. He has probably forgotten what his mother looks like, but he will never forget the warmth of a mother’s embrace. We can’t replace Barlian’s mother, but we will do everything in our power to make sure he receives all the care and love he needs to grow into a healthy, confident adult orangutan who can one day return to his natural home.

We would like to thank all of our amazing Babysitters and Technicians who work tirelessly everyday to care for and love these amazing orangutans.  Their dedication and commitment, together with the incredible support from all our team members, makes our rehabilitation and reintroduction programs a reality!  Well done team!