Orphaned baby orangutan found crying and alone in a rainforest in Borneo is rescued and spoonfed back to health
- Asoka was found crying and alone in a rainforest in Borneo by a local man
- Despite good intentions, he fed her sickly-sweet condensed milk each day
- UK-based International Animal Rescue is nursing the ape back to health
- Today in International Orangutan Day and people are being urged to help
An orphaned baby orangutan found crying like a baby and alone in a rainforest in Borneo has been rescued.
Little Asoka was discovered by a local man, who despite good intentions, fed the orangutan sickly-sweet condensed milk four times a day.
To coincide with International Orangutan Day today, UK-based International Animal Rescue (IAR) has released photographs of the ape which is being cared for by its team in West Borneo.
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Orphaned: Baby orangutan Asoka was found in a rainforest in Borneo crying like a baby without his mother
Safe and sound: The little orangutan is being cared for by International Animal Rescue's team in West Borneo
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Asoka is the the latest ape to be cared for at the IAR's rehabilitation centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.
The local man who found him felt so sorry for the baby that he took him home. Knowing that the orangutan is a protected species, he contacted the forestry department, asking them to collect the young orphan.
Asoka, who is four or five months old and weighs just 2kg, stayed with the family for four weeks and slept with the man and his wife and was fed condensed milk.
Alan Knight, IAR's chief executive, said: 'Little Asoka is the latest orangutan to come in to our centre.
'He is as cute and contented as can be but his story is typical of the tragic fate threatening the survival of orangutan populations in Borneo and Sumatra.
'As the palm oil industry continues to devour the rainforest, more and more orangutans are left homeless, hungry and vulnerable to hunters.
'The adults are killed while the babies are torn from their dying mothers and sold into a life of misery as someone’s pet.'
Rescued: Asoka is the the latest ape to be cared for at the rehabilitation centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan
Asoka, who is four or five months old and weighs just 2kg, is on the road to recovery after being rescued
Mr Knight continued: 'If ever there was a time to act to save the orangutan, that time is now.
'Rescue centres like ours are overflowing with animals undergoing rehabilitation in preparation for their return to the wild. But by the time little Asoka is ready for release, will there be any forest left for him to return to?'
Orangutan Appeal UK has also released photographs and video footage of baby apes born at a wildlife reserve in Malaysian Borneo to coincide with the international awareness day. The charity says it gives hope of reviving the dwindling numbers being born into the wild.
Four beautiful babies have been born to date at Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah.
Daniel and Doris are the latest editions - born in April and June - while Spike and Camelia have arrived in the past two years.
There are just 50,000 left in the wild today - a figure that has dropped from 120,000 in the last 60 years.
Orangutan Appeal UK has released photographs and video footage of baby apes born at a wildlife reserve (pictured: baby Doris and her mother Hope)
Daniel, one of the latest arrivals, pictured with his mother Anekara (left), and Eyos and baby Camelia (right)
Four babies were born at Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, including Spike (pictured with mother Otan)
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