Three call outs to langurs in trouble and 2 with happy endings. Firstly a young langur knocked down crossing the road with the troop. Although we sped to the scene this was dead when we arrived, having been very badly injured.
The second was a baby of only a few months that had, we were told originally been hit by a car, then while it was still on the ground and stunned, attacked and chased by dogs. In its terror it had climbed up and into a high shop front roller blind from which it could not escape. The troop had moved on by the time we were notified and John arrived. Getting it out meant a climb of about 20 feet up a very rickety ladder, after several attempts luckily the fire brigade arrived. Although not willing, or able to do the rescue, their ladder was of a better standard and John with some trepidation was able to get up level with the blind.
Eventually, the still terrified baby was in a position where he could grab its tail, and he pulled it out and carried it struggling and biting down to the waiting cage. It was taken to our I.A.R rescue centre for checking but surprisingly had suffered no serious injuries. She was kept overnight and before first light taken back to the same site to await the arrival of her troop and mother. Langurs travel in a defined territory and although not active at night, John was confident they would come back in the morning to check on the baby as a priority. Sure enough after a wait of 3 hours they started to appear and spotted the baby in the release cage. John was certain he had located the mother as she obviously had milk but did not have a baby with her. For half an hour she carefully checked the area out before finally approaching the cage, the release rope was pulled and the baby ran straight to her mother and began to suckle! The best possible ending.
The next rescue involved a female Langur that had fallen, possibly chased by dogs, down a 90 foot well. By the time we were notified the Forest Department and another animal rescue team were on site but had been unable to effect a rescue. The good thing about this rescue was that the whole of her troop had stayed in the immediate vicinity and were calling out to her. She had been stuck all day, surviving by balancing on a small ledge barely out of the water. Several unsuccessful attempts had been made to go down the well, or get her to go in a box lowered down to her. She was not obviously injured and after much persuasion from John, the by now substantial number of onlookers and helpers that had gathered, were moved right away from the well and convinced to stay silent.
John then lowered a rope right down the well to her, along with the rope ladder that only went half way, and then also moved away. Within minutes she had run up the rope, rejoined her troop, and all fled away, another happy ending!
Some help we hope for Katrina, our elderly and still very stiff rhesus macaque rescue. She had been kept for 12 years on a Hindu shrine in a small parrot cage and as a result could barely move on arrival. She now swims and climbs trees but with some difficulty still.
Whilst in the U.K we spent some time at Monkey World in Dorset and on hearing of Katrina’s problems they kindly donated a good supply of tablets for her. This is the same remedy that many human O.A.Ps take for stiff joints, and we are hoping we shall see some added relief for her too. They also gave us some safe sedatives for the little orphans that come to us, and have such difficulty in adjusting to taking milk from a bottle and such a different life. With this to help, we hope be able to pull more through the first difficult days.
Many thanks go to Monkey World for there interest and help.
Venus the cat, one of our first rescues 12 years ago, developed cancer on her ear. This is apparently quite a common problem in this sunny climate with white cats. She has now had an operation to remove her ear tip and seems at present to be making a full recovery.
