August 2007 News

Animals:

This month we continued to build new sleeping quarters for our gibbons and macaques. We started to build at the end of July and due to the difficulty, particularly with the gibbons, of moving the animals to a catching cage, we are progressing slowly but surely. As well as providing new sleeping areas for the gibbons we are also providing new enrichment activities such as climbing bars and swinging ropes.

Moving animals:

We moved Bill and Bombay from Gibbon Island back to Cage No 29 in our centre so that an electric fence can be built dividing the island into separate parts. Jib was also moved back to the centre for the same reason. He is in a temporary cage at present near cage No. 21 so we can get an idea as to whether he will be able to be placed with these two gibbons.

When the electric fence is turned off the gibbons can escape across the water. It is also much safer for our workers to remove the gibbons from the island when working on the fence.

Making the rail around the cages.	Moving Jum to Gibbon Island .

Gibbon Island :

This month we moved Jum to Vitex Island , a small island at Gibbon Island .

We moved Sabb from Cage No. 6 to Cage No. 9 because he has grown big enough to be in a group now.

Peetal is now in cage No. 6 by himself. This allows him to get sufficient food without having to compete with other stronger, bigger macaques. Peetal is very thin and we hope he will put on weight now he is in a cage by himself. If he doesn't put on weight he will be checked for health problems by our resident vet.

In August we received two Slow Loris', one from Bangkok , which sadly died of pneumonia shortly after arriving here, and one from the residents of the village here. This one was placed in a temporary cage at first, then it was moved to its' new rehabilitation area with the baby we already had. This Slow Loris will be released in the near future. We have also completed the side rails to the walkway built some time ago near Cage No. 6.

Maintenance:

New water containers have been built in the volunteer accommodation replacing the old ones which used to leak at times.

The electric fence dividing Vitex and Lygodium Islands was completed this month. This will allow people to walk around the area safe from a gibbon attack.

Building of the Education & Observation Complex on Globba Island continues. It is hoped that this work will be finished next month, weather permitting.

New water container	Electric fence on Gibbon Island

Animal Health:

This month we have had rain every day resulting in our staff needing to take special care of our animals.

This month Jumjim, a female long tailed macaque became unwell. She was attended to by Dr Tum who diagnosed severe enteritis. She sadly did not respond to treatment and passed away despite the efforts of staff and Dr Tum .

Nun, one of our Slow Loris', got her leg and back caught in the rope of the cage she was housed in. Staff discovered her with a cut on her arm and a worm coming out of the cut. Staff took her to Dr Tum for treatment and next day her injury seemed to have improved. This did not continue, however, as the wound was infected and she passed away after a couple of days.

This month saw Sabb escape from his cage. He was subsequently caught and it was discovered that he had a deep cut on his finger which was bleeding profusely. It is not known how this happened, however, Sabb had his finger bandaged, the bleeding was stopped and at the same time he was sterilized. He has now made a complete recovery from both procedures.