Rescued Baby Orangutan, Budi, Was Kept In A Chicken Cage For 10 Months, Mistreated By Owner

U.K. based International Animal Rescue, an animal care organization, has posted pictures and a video of the rescue of a baby orangutan named Budi. The pictures and video are heartbreaking and are sure to make your heart melt as nurses and veterinarians in Indonesia try to nurse the malnourished ape back to health.

According to Metro UK, Budi the 10-month-old orangutan was found to be living in horrible conditions with his owner. The owner allegedly mistreated Budi for most of his 10 months of existence. Budi was kept almost the entire time inside a cage meant to hoard chickens. The poor animal was only fed condensed milk by his owner and was malnourished and his body swollen due to protein deficiency when his rescuers found him. In fact his rescuers say they were moved to see the the condition Budi was in at the time of his rescue.

Later, in a statement issued by Alan Night, CEO of International Animal Rescue, Budi’s discovery was explained.

“Everyone was distressed beyond words to see how much pain he was in. I don’t know how much longer he could have endured so much suffering. Budi was kept in a chicken cage by his owner and fed on nothing but condensed milk. During that time she didn’t give him a single mouthful of solid food for fear it would be bad for him. No living creature should be forced to live in excruciating pain and misery for months on end – least of all a helpless baby orangutan with no loving mother to comfort him,” he added.

Following Budi’s rescue, he was taken to the Animal Rescue center in Kentapang, Borneo.

In a video posted by the IAR, Budi is seen crying in pain when a volunteer veterinarian attempts to lift him up.

His hands and legs are also visibly swollen owing to months of neglect. Budi is being taken care of by a team of vets under the leadership of Karmele L. Sanchez and his team at the animal rescue center in Ketapang, Indonesia.

In a post describing the ordeal that Budi had gone through, Karmele explains Budi’s condition.

“We cannot even imagine how much pain this small baby has suffered. His eyes fill with tears every time he’s moved by the doctors and he screams in pain. It’s really amazing that Budi has been able to survive this long.”

Now for the good part. Since his rescue and subsequent treatment, Budi is making steady progress and is gaining his health back. Dr. Sanchez believes that Budi is a “strong boy” and that he is fighting very hard for his survival.

Orangutans like Budi are found exclusively in South East Asia and are a critically endangered species.

[Image Via International Animal Rescue]