A few days ago at BORA (Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance), Ambon was frequently seen rubbing his left eye. Eye discharge was visible on the edge of his eyelid, which may have caused him discomfort. Two days later, his eye turned red, and his eyelid became swollen. Based on these symptoms, Ambon was suspected of having conjunctivitis.
The BORA Medical Team tried to treat Ambon, but he avoided the eye ointment tube as soon as he saw it. The team then switched to a syringe to spray the medication into his eye, but this attempt also failed. The moment the syringe came out of the medical staff’s pocket, Ambon immediately stepped back. Trainers were called for assistance, but this, too, did not succeed.
Help was then requested from Lio, an animal keeper whom Ambon likes. Without any bait, Lio managed to get Ambon down from his “hammock and perch”. Although difficult, Lio was able to spray the medication into Ambon’s eye. The treatment is attempted three times a day, though not always successful. “Older individuals are difficult to treat; they don’t trust anything unfamiliar,” Lio remarked. Rightfully so Ambon’s age exceeds that of most of the staff here. Fortunately, Ambon was willing to take oral medication, which has gradually reduced the inflammation. The medical teams, trainers, and keepers are continuing their efforts to treat Ambon. Let’s wish the best for Ambon and the other orangutans at BORA to remain healthy and happy, even if they must spend Christmas 2024 in enclosures. (LIS)
ORANGUTAN AMBON SAKIT MATA
Beberapa hari lalu di BORA (Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance), Ambon terlihat sering mengucek mata kirinya. Terlihat ada kotoran mata yang menempel di ujung kelopak matanya. Hal ini mungkin membuatnya merasa tidak nyaman. Dua hari berselang, matanya kemerahan dan kelopak matanya bengkak. Dari gejalanya, Ambon diduga mengalami konjunctivititis.
Tim Medis BORA mencoba mengobati Ambon, namun Ambon segera menghindar ketika melihat tube salep mata. Proses pengobatan diganti dengan spuit dimana obatnya dimasukkan lalu akan dicoba spray ke matanya. Namun percobaan ini juga gagal. Baru saja spuit dikeluarkan dari kantong baju medis, Ambon segera mundur. Medis pun meminta bantuan trainer, namun hal ini juga tidak berhasil.
Bantuan pun diminta ke animal keeper Lio, salah satu keeper yang disukai Ambon. Yang tanpa membawa pancingan apapun dapat membuat Ambon turun dari singgasananya “hammock dan tenggeran”. Walaupun sulit, Lio sempat berhasil menyemprotkan obat ke matanya. Dalam sehari diusahakan 3x pengobatan namun tidak selalu berhasil. Kata Lio, “Orangtua memang sulit diobati, tak mudah percaya dengan sesuatu yang asing”. Ya, bagaimana tidak disebut orangtua, umurnya saja melebihi kami staf yang ada di sini.
Untunglah ada obat oral yang mau dimakannya, sehingga walaupun perlahan, radangnya mulai membaik. Hingga saat ini medis dibantu trainer dan keeper masih mengupayakan pengobatan Ambon. Doakan yang terbaik untuk Ambon dan orangutan yang lainnya di BORA, tetap sehat dan bahagia walau di kandang untuk Natal 2024 ini. (LIS)
