ORANG UTAN DOCTOR

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Doctor to orang-utans

Jaspal Singh

 

BUKIT MERAH, PERAK, Sat.

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It’s 4.45am and Dr D. Sabapathy’s mobile phone rings at his Kamunting home.

He does not have to answer the call to know that Camilla’s condition has

worsened and that his immediate presence was required in Pulau Panjang at the

nearby Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.

 

The 45-year-old is on the road in minutes and holding his patient’s hand at the

intensive care unit on the island by 5.30am.

 

Camilla is neither a tourist vacationing at the resort nor a local working

there.

 

She is actually a three-month-old orang-utan under the veterinarian’s care at

the Orang-Utan Infant Care Unit on the island.

 

Early morning runs to the centre are part and parcel of the good doctor’s job.

 

Pulau Panjang, or better known as the Orang-Utan Island, is a 14ha strip of lush

greenery which happens to be the only orang-utan sanctuary in Peninsular

Malaysia.

 

LOVE ME TENDER: Adam has taken a liking to Dr Sabapathy.

 

Dr Sabapathy has six orang-utan infants to care for in the unit, a task he says

is akin to looking after children.

 

This is obvious as Adam, a 2½-year-old male, peers intently into the ICU as

treatment on Camilla proceeds.

 

" Orang-utan are sensitive and observant by nature. They can sit still for a long

time and observe what we do. At times they emulate what they learn from the

observation, " he said.

 

Besides Camilla and Adam, the others at the unit are Sonia (two years and seven

months), Malik (a year and six months), Eliyas (nine months) and Ariff (four

months).

 

There is a seventh infant on the island — two-month-old Harry, who is with his

mother.

 

Dr Sabapathy is leaving him in the jungle for the moment but will not hesitate

to separate Harry from his mother at the slightest hint of ill-health.

 

" I will do it even if it means getting a call at 2am at home, " says Dr Sabapathy

who is totally committed to his patients.

 

The veterinary medicine graduate of the Bangladesh Mymensingh University of

Agriculture has been tending to his charges, who include adults in the wilds on

the island, since April 2002.

 

The feeling is mutual as they look for his attention, and touch, all the time.

 

When an orang-utan baby is admitted to the infant care unit, Dr Sabapathy will

run several clinical tests, including on blood pressure, blood profile,

tuberculosis, urine and respiration.

 

The infant is monitored for 24 hours and given medication until test results are

known to determine which kind of treatment is needed.

 

" Since their physiological traits are similar to that of human infants, these

orang-utan babies are treated medically the same way human babies are cared for

during infancy.

 

" The baby is never separated from the mother unless there is a problem ... It is

difficult to treat the infant while it is still with the mother, " he said.

 

Problems associated with newborn orang-utan include an inability of the mother

to provide enough milk.

 

" The baby then is given either goat's milk or infant formula as a substitute

until the age of eight or nine months when the infant will be fed with fruits

and cereal until it is five years old, " he said.

 

Once separated from their mothers, the infants will remain at the unit until

they are about three years old during which time they are given " enrichment "

training involving rope training, searching for food and erecting nests.

 

Once they have been taught these basic skills, the infants will be shifted to

the island proper for exposure to the natural environment.

 

At five, the orang-utans are released into the jungle where they will live with

adult orang-utan and assimilate group behaviour.

 

The cost of setting up the infant care unit was close to RM60,000 with operating

costs of up to RM7,000 a month.

 

Orang-utans may live up to 50 years in their natural habitat but can live up to

60 in sanctuaries.

 

Pulau Panjang is a project to increase the orang-utan population.