Medical Tests and Treatment

New arrivals at the quarantine station have to undergo extensive medical checks and a minimum 30 day quarantine period to ensure that they carry no illnesses. Only the are the orangutans allowed to have any contact with other inhabitants of the station.

On arrival at the quarantine station, each orangutan is placed in its own cage for a minimum 30 days quarantine and medical tests, and sometimes longer if any medical treatment is necessary. For the first few days we observe them closely to assess their general health condition and take a number of faecal or other non-invasive samples to check for intestinal parasites and pathogens and other ailments if suspected. This initial settling in period also allows the orangutans to get used to the center's staff and their new environment, sights and smells, with minimal stress. Once they are settled, however, we must then anaesthetize them for full medical checks. The samples and standard tests and procedures we normally carry out include:

Chest x-rays to check for Tuberculosis and other bronchial problems

Blood samples to test for Hepatitis A, B and C, Herpes simplex virus and routine haematology (as a good indicator of overall health and any potential problems)

PPD tests, a routine under-the-skin injection to test for tuberculosis that is commonly used in humans and other primates.

In addition to the standard tests we take this opportunity for a close look at any other wounds or injuries or medical conditions that we may have noticed in the first few days and record body measurements and weight.

Each orangutan then undergoes a kind of 'ID process', in which portrait and dental photos are taken, a tattoo of the individuals "SOCP number" is made on the inner thigh and a tiny microchip is placed under the skin. This chip can be read by a special reader and stores a unique serial number. These are all important means of future identification and also part of the standard procedures adopted by the government for keeping track of confiscated animals.

All of the findings of these tests and the unique ID details are then recorded in the individuals own behavioural and medical record files, that continue to be updated as long as the animal is at the quarantine or the reintroduction center, and even long after they have eventually been released into the forest, whenever they are encountered and there is useful information to be recorded.

Medical Tests and Treatment

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Inside an orangutan orphanage