When many orangutans come down with flu at the same time, our surrogate mothers and veterinarians work together to make a traditional tonic – onion juice mixed with honey! According to our vet, onions can help cure colds, coughs, high fevers, and sore throats, as well as boost immunity.
Our surrogate mothers make the tonic by cutting or smashing up onions and soaking them in water for about 6-8 hours, before adding honey. Sick orangutans are then given 3-4 teaspoons of the mixture three times a day, consumed fresh. Our veterinary team, meanwhile, routinely gives the Nursery Group orangutan a boost of vitamin C.
There is always one surrogate mother in charge of encouraging and holding the orangutans, while another surrogate mother feeds the tonic to them. Of course, this is not an easy task, because some orangutans make a fuss and protest loudly! This is understandable, as the onion juice has a pungent aroma and strong taste – even we humans are not that comfortable with drinking it!
This is also what happened to Jeni. At first, Jeni resisted when a surrogate mother tried to hold her hand and feed her the tonic. She cried and tried to turn away, to fend off the spoon. But once she tasted a spoonful that managed to get into her mouth, she calmed down. It was then easier for the surrogate mother to feed her the remaining two spoonfuls of tonic. After making such a fuss initially, it was amusing to see Jeni lick the drops of onion juice from her hands once she realised it was not all that bad.
After a few days, Jeni and the other orangutans recovered and were able to get back to practicing their survival skills in Forest School. Jeni got straight back to her activities as usual – on the forest floor, eating termites and young shoots, and dangling in the forest canopy with her best friend, Alexander. It’s fantastic to see Jeni and her friends back in good health and back at Forest School!
Text by: Communications Team at Nyaru Menteng, Central Kalimantan & BOS Foundation Headquarters, Bogor, West Java
Will you help us rescue, rehabilitate and release orangutans back to freedom? Thank you!
