VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES REPORT
March - April 2000


Tanjung Puting National Park



Dear Friends.

Greeting from FNPF

First of all we want to thank all those who's donations continue to help us work with the Orangutans.

As you might already know, there is much forest destruction happened recently which is caused by many illegal logger and miner. The illegal logger even cut the tree in Tanjung Puting National park area as far as Camp Leakey which is known as one of the research area for Orangutan and other wild life. If this continue the park will be destroyed.

There is nothing much that we alone can do to stop them. We are working with local organizations and the local government but the logging business is too big even for our local government. The local government in Central Borneo has given up and they asked the central government to take over the situation.

What we can do is just keep telling the people and our government that we must be more aware about the importance of the forest not just concern about make money by cutting the wood. Some local NGOs already made some demonstrations and protests to attract the public attention. Hopefully it will work in the long run.

Once again thank you for your kind support. Please help in any way you can.

Sincerely yours,

Drh I Gede Nyoman Bayu Wirayudha

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Volunteer Activities Report,
March - April 2000.
By I Gede Suarsedana.

During March and April I stayed at Tanjung Harapan but occasionally visited Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey.

Tanjung Harapan.

A six months male Orang Utan with weight 6 lbs called Adung was brought here from local people in Nagabulik ( a village next to Pangkalan Bun ). He appeared healthy and from his general physical and fecal examination there is nothing specious. He is still very dependable and need a constant attention and contact with the people. He is being fed on milk throughout the day and night. Most of my time right now is caring him.

The other three babies Bonzen, Nyoman and Alui seem to be less dependent on feeding, and they have started to stay in the forest for over night after making their own nest. I feel that although Bonzon, Nyoman are probably old enough to live outside but I am worry that Alui is still too young to survive on his own so I will continue to keep them inside during the night when it is possible.

Pramono the two years old baby could make his own nest around station but he has not returned for feeding for almost a month. Yuyun the semi-wild just occasionally visit station.

Pondok Tanggui

Seven or sometime nine Orang Utans regularly come up for the morning feeding. The Ranger have identified a skin problem on one of the orang utan named Jacky who recently return to feeding after an absence for about six months. The appropriate treatment will be given when I am able to examine him. Two wild orang utan occasionally appear at feeding area but just at distance while people are around.

Camp Leakey

There are no serious problem at the at the moment, although several Orangutans have a light cough, which may be caused by the changing of the weather. Due I unable to give any medication because they come to camp infrequently. We try to monitor their condition. We will give them a treatment if it is possible.

We have a good news at Camp Leakey. One of the Orang Utan just have a baby and we noticed that there are two females are pregnant.

At the first of April we set up the west marine communication radio that donated by Mr. Jean Nica at the first station" Tanjung Harapan", the third station " Camp Leakey " and one radio at the office in Pangkalan Bun. Now if we have any emergency situation can be informed much faster so these radios are really useful and helpful for my job.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards

I Gede Suarsedana
FNPF Volunteer

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Volunteer Activities Report
By I Gede Suarsedana,
May 2000

Between 1st until in the midle on Mei, I conducted my duties as a veterinary at Tanjung Puting. My first primary concern was 7,5 months old orang utan named Adung, Adung appears very healthy and independent and the fecal examination I undertook showed no sign for worm and protozoa infestation. I am introducing to climbing and so far he is progressing rapidly.

The three other rehabilitants here at Tanjung Harapan Bonzen, Nyoman, and Alui are all in good condition. Bonzen and Alui have slight fugal infections affecting their scalps. I am treating Bonzen condition with an anti fungal powder, and Alui I am using an anti bacterial wash to prevent infestation where he has scratched and made it raw.

Davida and her son David still visit the camp occasionally at feeding time.

Best regards,

I Gede Suarsedana
Veterinarian

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Volunteer Activities Report
Bby Drh, I Made Widana
May'2000

In middle on May I and Bayu went to Tanjung Puting National Park to take place of I Gede Suarsedana because he has go to Bali for the Wedding. I will in charge until he get back. We start working on May, 21 in the first station( Tanjung Harapan ). We tried to fix the radio communication so we can keep contact with other station and Pangkalan Bun as well. We have done discussion with all the Ranger and the PHPA office about our work and the next program for rehabilitation. Bayu told the Ranger beside the basic salary from government they will get incentive from the foundation and also foundation will give a reward for the station which done their best job for the orang utan rehabilitation project. The foundation will try to so support the ranger who work directly to the orang utan step by step until they have prosperous life as they can do their best work.In this time, we also try to get more information about orang utan the name list, especially orang utan in rehabilitation so that we know which one is given by PHPA office, we will know how many are brought to the park and how many survive and died. I also did the main activities for the volunteer that is checked all orang utan condition and assist the ranger with their job.

Here is my report below during in the park

Tanjung Harapan

First week in the park I spent all of the time stay in Tanjung Harapan, I have to take care of baby orang utan which: Adung ( male,8 months old, Alui ( male,18 months old), Bonzen ( male, 3 years and 2 months old ) and Nyoman ( 3 years old . Davida and her baby come to the station occasionally. Andung is very spoiled due to this age and seem he need his mother. We have to watch him carefully every day from morning bath, clean his small box and also his special milk. Adung is very healthy and every day he doing exercises by climbing the tree. The three baby Nyoman, Bonzen, Alui still come to the station for feeding once day. Unexpectedly I found that something wrong with Alui's genital ( penis).

First I knew that Alui is female but for make sure I told the ranger to check it again. he always look sad and the ranger said he sick. I decided to check by my self and I found that he got diarrhea and fever. I gave him antibiotic injection and fluid therapy for one day and also gave him anti cold medicine. The next day he look better but still got diarrhea, than I did fecal test and the result is there are intestinal worm in his feces. Also I found physically Alui has a gland penis disorder (Hipospaddy ). The gland is not function because it has no hole in the top of gland penis, that made the urine come out from under the gland. Than the urine is caught by the anus which is already swollen by the infection. The testicles are not develop normal, they are small, and not in the right place. So I have to consult this thing with the human surgeon and result is that we have to do a hypos paddy surgery to prevent the next infection become worst by reach the kidneys. We have to make a new ducts in the gland penis and also we have to make sure that there is no any contact between rectum and the urethra. I just gave his the antibiotic with Fosmicin IV injection three time a day. One injection use small bottle contain of Fosmicin and it cost about Rp 60.000 per bottle ( it take three days to do the injection ). We have to wait catheter from Malang ( east Java ) because we could not find it in Pangkalan Bun. We also wait for surgery schedule. surgery it self cost about Rp 1,500,000 until Rp 2,000,000. I will give the surgery result on my next report.

That all my report and I hope we can do our best for the park and orangutan it self

Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards,

Drh. I Made Widana
FNPF volunteer