Lady Freethinker is excited to share that, thanks to your generosity, we are sponsoring an additional veterinarian for a whole year to care for rescued gibbons in Indonesia at Jakarta Animal Aid Network’s (JAAN) Wildlife Rescue Centre.
These endangered primates — many of them tiny infants torn from their mothers — are among the most vulnerable victims of the illegal wildlife pet trade. With the added on-site veterinarian, gibbons will now receive faster treatments, regular health checks, and round-the-clock attention. This vital support gives them a far better chance not just to survive, but to heal from trauma, grow strong, and rediscover life as it should be: safe, playful, and free from exploitation.
Why Veterinary Care Is so Critical
Courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
Gibbons are highly social, intelligent primates, and proper rehabilitation is essential to their survival. For them to eventually return to the wild, they need not only safe enclosures and socialization but also expert veterinary care to recover from trauma, illness, and injury.
Many arrive in heartbreaking condition. Mothers are often shot with pellets–slow, cruel injuries that frequently lead to infection or lead poisoning. Their babies, stolen for the pet trade, are frightened, malnourished, and sometimes badly wounded. One rescued gibbon with eight bullet wounds tragically passed away not long after rescue — a painful reminder of the suffering these animals endure before reaching safety, and why our support for JAAN’s incredible work on the ground is so vital.
Life at the Sumatra Wildlife Centre
Courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
JAAN’s Sumatra Wildlife Centre (SWC) is currently caring for 20 gibbons, including 12 fragile infants especially prone to disease. With Lady Freethinker’s sponsorship, the new veterinarian can provide around-the-clock care: treating injuries, monitoring chronic conditions, offering preventive medicine, and supporting rehabilitation.
Among the rescues are Nina and Ryan, who remind us why this work is so important. Both were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade after being stolen from their families and forest homes in Sumatra and trafficked all the way to Java, where they were being kept as pets.
Courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
By the time Nina was rescued, she was so deeply traumatized that she spent her days rocking and trembling, unable to find comfort. But thanks to the incredible dedication of the JAAN team, she has begun to heal. Today, Nina has even found a best friend in Ryan, another young gibbon rescued from the same cruel trade.
It is heartbreaking to imagine what happened to them — and to their mothers, who likely fought desperately to protect their babies. Supporting JAAN’s work is one way we honor those mothers and ensure that Nina, Ryan, and so many others can finally know lives filled with joy, play, peace, and compassion.
A Second Chance at Freedom
Courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
This expanded veterinary capacity doesn’t just save lives today. It also helps prepare these endangered primates for the future — supporting their eventual return to the forest where they belong. SWC is the only facility in Sumatra specializing in gibbon rehabilitation, making this work vital for the survival of the species.
Your compassion has made all of this possible. By supporting Lady Freethinker, you are helping animals once destined for the wildlife trade to heal, recover, and — we hope — return home to the wild.
Thank you for making a real difference in the lives of these incredible animals.
