Rescue Orangutan Who Survived Shooting Excitedly Jumps into Jungle During Long-Awaited Release
Vivy, a critically endangered Bornean orangutan, has returned to the rainforest with help from The Orangutan Project and the Bornean Orangutan Rescue Alliance
Vivy, a critically endangered Bornean orangutan, has returned to the rainforest with help from The Orangutan Project and the Bornean Orangutan Rescue Alliance The Orangutan Project Vivy the orangutan at BORA before his release:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Orangutan-release-tout-112024-84f2410a0be34d92aac9f7dfd95fb5bf.jpg "Orangutan Release")
Vivy, a critically endangered Bornean orangutan, is back swinging through the trees after months of recovery.
According to The Orangutan Project, a nonprofit that supports orangutan conservation projects, rescuers found the young male primate malnourished and clinging to life near a village in Borneo on April 20.
Rescuers rushed the ailing animal to the Orangutan Project's Bornean Orangutan Rescue Alliance (BORA) rescue center for medical treatment. At BORA's rescue center, Vivy's saviors discovered the heartbreaking extent of the primate's injuries. Vivy had an irreparably damaged right eye with a ruptured cornea, leaving the primate permanently blind in one eye.
Vivy also had two air rifle pellets lodged in his body, one in his neck and another in his foot, "highlighting the harsh realities of human-orangutan conflict." Despite Vivy's serious health issues, rescuers knew the 12-year-old orangutan deserved a second chance.
BORA's wildlife veterinarians performed careful surgery to remove the pellet in Vivy's foot, which greatly affected the animal's movement. Experts opted to leave the pellet lodged in the orangutan's neck, deeming the location too risky to attempt removal. The Orangutan Project An x-ray of Vivy's feet shows a pellet lodged in one foot
After surgery, Vivy spent several months building back his strength thanks to a customized nutrition plan, medical care, and the attention of BORA's skilled staff. By the fall, experts were confident Vivy had enough energy and mobility to return to the wild. Once the primate's blood test came back clear of any contagious illnesses, the plan to release Vivy went into action.
In late October, rescuers took Vivy to an undisclosed part of the Bornean rainforest, far from civilization, and released the orangutan back into the wild. Video of the release shows the primate excitedly bursting from his crate to climb the nearest tree. After scaling one tree, Vivy hops to another and another, eagerly working his way deeper into the wilderness.
"Seeing Vivy free again is a privileged opportunity to allow a self-aware person to once again live in dignity." Leif Cocks, the founder of The Orangutan Project, shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
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"Love is the recognition of our shared beingness with other living beings," he added. "Seeing Vivy free again brings an intense joy to those that recognize this unity."
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The Orangutan Project helped make Vivy's release possible by supporting BORA's life-saving work. The nonprofit hopes Vivy's story inspires others to safeguard the Bornean rainforest that primates like Vivy call home so animals have the ecosystems they need to thrive.
"Vivy, like all persons, can only thrive when living free in their natural habitat and cultures," Cocks said.
