On the mend, the orphaned orangutan who needed life-saving surgery after gnawing off his own arm to break free of trap

By Richard Hartley-parkinson


Orphan Pelangsi is now recovering after being freed from the trap in an Indonesian forest

An orphaned orangutan who was forced to gnaw off its own hand to escape from a snare is now on the mend after life-saving surgery.

The determined primate, named Pelangsi, lived off nothing but rainwater for ten days before chewing off his own hand in a desperate bid to escape in the depths of an Indonesian forest.

Thankfully the orphan was eventually rescued by the team at International Animal Rescue in Indonesia.


Veterinary surgeons work on Pelangsi's amputated arm after he was discovered by villagers

Pelangsi appears happy under leaves as he continues on his road to recovery

The future now looks bright for Pelangsi who could be released back into the wild in just a few months after a five-hour operation to amputate his damaged hand and arm.

Karmele Llano Sanchez, Veterinary Director at International Animal Rescue Indonesia, said Pelangsi was looking alert and eating.

He said: 'Pelangsi was clearly young and fit before getting trapped in the snare.

'While it is a tragedy that he has lost his limb this is far better than him losing his life through septicaemia.

'There is no reason why he shouldn't return to the wild and fend for himself again.

'He's a wild orangutan so finds it quite stressful to be in captivity, he tries to hide under the foliage in his cage whenever we approach him with darts and the blowpipe to sedate him.'


Brave orphan: As this picture shows, Pelangsi was forced to gnaw through his own hand in a bid to break free


Saved: Animal Rescue medics battle to save the young orangutan, who was trapped for ten days with only rainwater to keep him alive

Agony: A medic examines Pelangsi's mangled hand

Alan Knight, the charity's chief executive, said Pelangsi's story reflected the plight of many orangutans in Borneo.

He said: 'He was driven from the forest when it was destroyed to make room for a palm oil plantation.

'He was forced into an area where wildlife and humans are competing for space and food.

'Unfortunately we came too late to save his damaged hand but we certainly saved his life.'

The team are now looking for a potential release site for Pelangsi so he can be released into a safe area of forest which is free from man-made threats.


Relief: Now Pelangsi is recovering from his ordeal, though animal medics had to amputate his hand to save his arm


Bandaged: The orangutan was heavily sedated after the ordeal and had to be carried away by some six people


Sedated: It will take some time before Pelangsi will be well enough to be released back into the wild



source:dailymail