A little baby orangutan was recently rescued from the most horrific conditions. This sweet little darling is named Uka, and he is estimated to be about two years old. This baby was snatched from the wild forests of Borneo, his mother most certainly killed in the process. Since mother orangutans are very protective of their young, the mom would never have abandoned her baby willingly.
Uka was being kept illegally as a pet in a small, dark, filthy crate. He was living in this tiny wooden cage filled with rotten fruit, feces, and urine-soaked rags. Luckily, someone alerted the authorities and International Animal Rescue was called in to save this little darling.
When the IAR team arrived on the scene, they could immediately see that the little orangutan’s life was filled with sadness and despair. Uka was completely still and appeared lifeless, in spite of all the commotion surrounding the rescue team’s arrival. He was struggling to breathe and appeared to be suffering from a respiratory infection. The little baby primate had a runny nose and watery eyes. IAR vet Elisabeth gave Uka much-needed fluids and a medical check to ensure he was fit enough to travel before he was transported to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Ketapang.
Tiny little Uka is now safe and sound at the rescue center, but his troubles are far from over. It appears that this little sweetheart is suffering from a flu virus which he may have caught from the human beings who were keeping him as a pet. Since humans share 97% of our DNA with orangutans, a lot of common viruses can get passed on to these animals and they are very susceptible to human diseases. If Uka hadn’t been rescued in time, his condition could have deteriorated rapidly and he most likely would have died a very tragic death.

Image: International Animal Rescue
Little Uka is now in quarantine, and receiving urgent medical treatment and nutritious food to restore his strength. But he is not out of the woods yet; it will take a lot of work to help him recover from all of the trauma, abuse, and neglect that he has suffered. Once this precious baby is rehabilitated, he will hopefully be able to be released back into the wild.
“The condition of little Uka illustrates just one of the many reasons why people should not keep orangutans as pets,” said Alan Knight, IAR Chief Executive. “Young primates are extremely susceptible to human diseases. First they suffer the trauma of losing their mothers and being taken out of their natural environment which is very stressful for them.”
It’s important to remember that the orangutans’ native habitat throughout Asia is being destroyed and replaced with palm oil plantations. It is because of this that many adult orangutans, such as Uka’s mother, are killed and their babies sold into the exotic pet trade. Palm oil is a common ingredient in most popular snack foods, and is a prevalent reason for human-orangutan conflict.
Hope Uka is well today and that there is someone who takes care of her. She deserves lots of love after everything she has experienced.
Thank you for helping Uka ! Love you Uka !
Thank you to all those involved in the rescue.
Tragic situation all-around: the rainforest being destroyed for palm oil plantations and the horrors of the exotic pet trade. A lot of these baby orangutans also end up in the tourism industry, where they spend the rest of their lives entertaining clueless tourists. I’m sure organizations such as IAR try to save as many as they can, but there are many more who never get rescued…
I’m so glad this baby orangutan was rescued, there are so many more animals suffering in the exotic pet trade. Thank you to organizations like International Animal Rescue for saving them. And yes, palm oil production is a huge part of the problem. Palm oil is a main ingredient in most junk foods, one more reason to try to eat healthy.
If I had a baby like that he would be treated with so much love, just like one of my children. But I know It is wrong to have a wild animal as a pet. Sigh.
Please read the ingredients on your food and cosmetic items. Unless the label says sustainably sourced palm oil…
Elaeis guineensis
Etyl palmitate
Glyceryl
Hydrogenated palm glycerides
Octyl palmitate
Palm fruit oil
Palm kernel
Palm kernel oil
Palm stearine
Palmate
Palmitate
Palmitic acid
Palmitoyl oxostearamide
Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3
Palmityl alcohol
Palmolein
Sodium kernelate
Sodium laureth sulfate
Sodium lauryl lactylate/sulphate
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium palm kernelate
Stearate
Stearic acid
Vegetable fat
Vegetable oil
What’s wrong with you people, leave the precious animals alone and they shouldn’t never taken away from the mothers
how would you feel if I took you away from your mom? those abusers need to be labels so we know who they are and make sure they will NEVER touch those animals again!!!!
I just don’t understand why they have to cover up the abusers that’s full of BS. expose them to public!!!.
ALWAYS CHECK LABELS! REFUSE TO PURCHASE IF PRODUCT
CONTAINS PALM OIL AND COMPLAIN TO MANAGEMENT.
Poor baby. Thank you to the rescuers.
We have to find a substitute for palm oil otherwise we are all complicit in this.
Oh My! Thank goodness this precious baby is safe and sound! Thank you so much International Animal Rescue for all that you do in saving these babies! I checked on their website and IAR also rescue many other types of animals throughout Asia from horrific conditions, they rehabilitate them and then release back into the wild. That is how it should be! No more cruel captivity, and no more exotic pet trade!
It’s difficult to find food without palm oil but it’s possible with effort. I encourage everyone to search for brands that are listed on the sustainable palm oil sourcing website although I’m not sure that’s a guarantee either. Thank you to the rescuers and to LFT for raising awareness.
It’s difficult to find food without palm oil but it’s possible with effort. I encourage everyone to search for brands that are listed on the sustainable palm oil sourcing website although I’m not sure that’s a guarantee either. Thank you to the rescuers and to LFT for raising awareness.
Everyday some new pervert emerges from the shadows to carry out some cruel sadistic act. It never ends. I keep asking myself “how many despicable creeps are out there that we’ll read about tomorrow and the next day, and the day after. I wish so badly there strong laws to protect these innocent animals and rid society of the worthless humans.
It always amazes me that there are such cruel, mean nasty people out there that would do this to any animal. Thank goodness for people like the IAR to save them. A big THANK YOU to all of you.
Take care