This Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme vet clinic was destroyed in flooding and landslides in November 2024 - image Mark Darin
Emergency Campaign Launched To Help Orangutan Vet Teams Hugely Impacted By The Recent Catastrophic Floods In Sumatra
3 weeks ago 
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Crucial support needed to ensure conservation gains for this species on the brink are not lost and veterinary capacity not wiped out
Orangutan Veterinary Aid (OVAID), a UK based charity, is launching an urgent campaign to replace specialist equipment and support that underpins crucial conservation work to help critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. Already a species on the brink of extinction with fewer than 15,000 individuals remaining in the wild, they have been hugely impacted by the devastating recent floods and landslides in Sumatra. Without urgent support from organisations like OVAID, the future is bleak for these magnificent animals.
OVAID was founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife veterinary team Dr Nigel and Sara Fell Hicks, who have over 17 years’ experience working alongside Indonesian vets in orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centres across Sumatra and Borneo. Nigel and Sara established OVAID specifically to assist local Indonesian vets by providing equipment and training to support frontline orangutan conservation work - an essential element in sustaining orangutan numbers. Without action now, years of orangutan veterinary capacity could be wiped out overnight due to the loss of equipment that took decades to build, fund and transport which means there is now a narrow window to prevent long-term impact on the conservation work for the species.
Although a small charity, OVAID’s work contributes hugely to the welfare of the many hundreds of orangutan currently in rehabilitation centres throughout Sumatra and Borneo. Their work means clinics are equipped with everything you would find in any modern veterinary clinic, such as anaesthesia, critical care, dentistry and x-ray facilities. While in the field, paramedic backpacks easily transport medicines and emergency response equipment into the challenging jungle environment. This clinic and field equipment results in a more rapid and effective treatment response and better outcomes for the orangutan.
These critically endangered apes will not survive without long-term, expert veterinary intervention and that is why OVAID is now launching this campaign to help replace lost and damaged equipment to assist local vets on the ground. Whilst veterinary support for orangutan is part of wider recovery and resilience, it is not as well understood as human disaster relief efforts but still urgent.
On launching the campaign OVAID co-founder Sara Fell Hicks said: ‘We are devastated by what has happened to veterinary friends and conservation colleagues as a result of the disastrous floods and landslides. We must help them continue their vital work which contributes hugely to the conservation of orangutan in Borneo and Sumatra where every single orangutan life is precious.
‘We formed OVAID in 2014 because we could see from working alongside the vet teams that it was an absolute necessity for strengthening orangutan welfare. Veterinary care is a key piece of the jigsaw in conservation efforts to sustain the orangutan populations which are under constant threat from so many directions – habitat destruction, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and increasingly climate change. The vet teams tell us what they need and we provide it – a vet without equipment is like a mechanic without tools.
‘Equally important has been the training and support we have been able to provide for vets working on the ground. They often work in difficult situations and challenging conditions in the jungle and even more so now, after the floods have caused such devastation. There is always hope though – we wouldn’t do what we do without hope. We know the front-line vets truly appreciate our help and gain encouragement from knowing that people around the world care passionately about their work.’
Why veterinary support is so crucial
Skilled veterinary care with the immediate availability of specialised equipment is essential for the survival of rescued individuals of this threatened species and the vet teams face several challenges:
- Release to the wild can take many years (around a decade in some instances) so good vet care is an essential part of this journey.
- Rehabilitating orangutan after rescue from dangers such as poaching and habitat destruction needs specialist care. Rescued orangutan are often presented with physical wounds (machete and gunshot) as well as being mentally traumatised and frequently need surgical and medical treatment and intensive nursing care.
- Constant attention to health monitoring and clinical treatments are crucial throughout the long rehabilitation process.
- Orangutan are prone to dental problems especially those rescued from illegal pet homes where nutrition has been inappropriate. This can affect their chance of survival when released back to the wild and again needs specialist care and facilities.
- Support by OVAID takes two forms – helping to fundraise for specialist equipment not readily available to Indonesian vets working in the field, as well as in situ mentoring/training by veterinary specialists.
The crisis in orangutan numbers
All three orangutan species are classed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and vet support is crucial to giving orangutan the best chance possible of survival as numbers have been in steep decline for the last century. Orangutan now number only around 15,000 in Sumatra and less than100,000 in Borneo as their habitats come under threat from deforestation – which is the result of a range of activities from mining and logging to forest clearance for palm oil. The two species in Sumatra (Pongo Abeli and Pongo Tapanuliensis) are under particular threat from the recent severe floods and landslides. At the time of their discovery in 2017, Pongo Tapanuliensis numbered a mere 800 individuals. The recent flood emergency in Sumatra has been described by scientists as a possible extinction event and has given rise to speculation that a further 4 -10% may now have died. Every life of an orangutan that is saved, by rescue, supported in a rehabilitation centre and released back into the wild, contributes hugely to the conservation effort and, particularly in the case of the Tapanuli, this is crucial. Losses of as little as 1% of a threatened species can be critical to its ultimate survival.
Supporting the campaign
Disastrous environmental events in Sumatra affecting orangutan rescue teams and rehabilitation centres in the last 12 months have imposed both a financial and physical toll on the charity. There is, and will continue to be, an ongoing need for equipment for centres across Indonesia with the current urgent emphasis on those in Sumatra. Without the correct tools even the most dedicated vets are helpless, but OVAID is both passionate and committed to do whatever it can and hence its urgent call to action.
To find out more about OVAID’S work and to donate to the campaign visit www.ovaid.org where donations can be made.
