Frantic calls from people who find animals in need regularly come into the people at Laos Wildlife Rescue Centre. They never say no. The rescue center is always prepared to take all actions needed to help the helpless and give homes to the homeless.
One day they received a call from a person saying they had a sick baby monkey. They agreed to take him in without even seeing the circumstances. They assumed he would be a common species they often see.
The rescuers were not prepared to see what they saw inside that box
The red-shanked douc langur was laying inside the box shaking and barely breathing. These monkeys became endangered, but they receive little protection.
The animal is regularly hunted. Hunters sell them for their meat and body parts. People consider their meat a delicacy. Doctors use their body parts in some traditional medicine. People often take in the babies and sell them in a pet trade.
“We received a Facebook message from the ‘owner’ who was concerned about his health, as his condition deteriorated to the point where he is so weak, he is going through stages of ‘fainting’ behaviour. Happily the ‘owner’ was keen to hand him over to Laos Wildlife Rescue Centre so he could receive the critical treatment he needs.”
Rattles Recovery
Treatment of the baby named Rattles began right away. Leading up to arriving at the rescue center, he ate the completely wrong things for him. They started him on a correct diet which was essential to his survival.
The rescuers will never know the history of Rattles. All they know is that the person who brought him in was the second owner of him. They paid only twenty-four dollars for the monkey.
The rescuers gave Rattles fluids and eventually fed him his first meal.
For six weeks, Rattles barely received any nourishment from the food. Langurs require a high-fiber diet. They need to eat things like leaves, buds, unripe fruits, plant shoots, and bark.
The foods the owner had been feeding him damaged his stomach severely. He fed Rattles fruits and sweetened milk which have very little fiber. This most likely put Rattles in the condition he was in. Rattles surely would have died if he had not received help from the center.
While Rattles is still in critical condition, his team of rescuers is doing everything possible to help him fully recover. They would like to return him to his natural home in the wildlife.
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