ORANGUTANS UNDERGO ANNUAL ROUTINE HEALTH CHECKS

Orangutans from both of the BOS Foundation’s rehabilitation centres – Nyaru Menteng in Central Kalimantan and Samboja Lestari in East Kalimantan – are given routine medical checks to determine each individual’s health status and to help us avoid, or prepare for, possible disease epidemics. If an infectious disease is detected in any of the orangutans under our care, our dedicated medical team promptly places the infected individual in quarantine for treatment and screens others for possible transmission.

Our medical team from Samboja Lestari recently finished the annual routine health checks on the young orangutans in Forest School Level 1.

Routine health checks at our centres involve measuring the body weight and height/length of each individual, taking their blood samples and X-rays, and conducting dental and general medical examinations.

Once their routine health checks are complete, orangutans wake slowly as the effects of the anaesthesia wear off; orangutans must wake up and be fully alert before they can be safely returned to the Forest School.

This year’s routine health checks indicate that all 22 orangutans from Samboja Lestari’s Forest School Level 1 are in good health. Regular health checks ensure that the orangutans in our care remain in optimum health, giving them the best chance of returning to life in the wild.