Ee Ooo, a baby northern white-cheeked gibbon, became an orphan when traffickers in Laos killed his parents, likely to sell him as a pet. He was found scared and alone in a cardboard box that had been confiscated by officials.They then called theLaos Wildlife Rescue Center, which is the only center in the country that can accomodate rescued primates.
Source: Laos Wildlife Rescue Center
Volunteers made the 450 mile round trip to save the young animal, who was remarkably in good health albeit unsettled by what he had experienced, reports The Dodo.Gibbons in the wild normally stay with their mothers and siblings for up to 6 years before becoming independent. However, poor Ee Ooo only looked to be around 1 year old when he was found; far too young to be separated from his family. LWRC volunteers explain:
At his young age, he should still be hanging onto his mothers chest in the rainforest.
Source: Laos Wildlife Rescue Center
To comfort and warm the gibbon, the rescue center provided him with a blanket which has since become his prized posession. The LWRC reports:
He continues cling onto and suckle on his blanket in absence of his mothers companionship.
Source: Laos Wildlife Rescue Center
Ee Ooo was given his name by volunteers at the rescue center because of the noises that the young animal was making to communicate.He now lives with 5 other rescued gibbons and the volunteers are hoping to build their young tenants a gym where they can learn to swing in the hopes of one day being released into a protected area in the wild.
Source: Laos Wildlife Rescue Center
Sadly, there are many other animals that won't be as lucky as Ee Ooo to be rescued. The LWRC reveals:
Young gibbons in Laos, and right across South East Asia, are highly sort within the illegal wildlife trade as pets or photo prop animals for tourists to pose with.
Source: Laos Wildlife Rescue Center
As a result, gibbons have become an endangered species, and WWF reports them as the most endangered of all ape species. Their numbers are decreasing both because of traffickers, such as those that killed Ee Ooo's parents, and also because of forest destruction which destroys their crucial habitats.Tourists and visitors need to be informed of the harm inflicted upon these animals, physically and emotionally, from being taken away from their families. Animals were made to roam free in their natural habitat, and they are not there for humans to take pictures with.If you would like to help the Laos Wildlife Rescue Center continue their amazing work, please consider making a donation to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), which is the association that runs the LWRC.
H/t: The Dodo
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