Animal Rescue Work is not
easy as there are a lot of factors that are involved which constitutes in the
attempt to save an animal’s life. Rescuers have to source the necessary medical
help and at times it can be emotionally overwhelming for them when an animal
succumbs to its injuries or medical condition.
Noah’s Ark Natural Animal
Sanctuary (NANAS) has seen many emergency rescue cases and every case is
different with its own story of hope, trust and love by these animals towards
their compassionate rescuers.
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| Gabriel arrived in a vegetable crate. |
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| Zhen Yi lifting Gabriel from the vegetable crate. |
Zhen Yi (He had worked with
Raymund previously at Noah’s
Ark Lodge Private Animal Shelter
in Singapore), an owner of a vegetable plantation and a good friend of Raymund,
founder of Noah's Ark brought in a badly injured greyish-black Dusky Leaf Monkey.
The monkey was believed to be involved in a high speed vehicle collision
outside Zhen Yi’s plantation. Upon, noticing the monkey, he quickly drove to
Noah's Ark to seek medical help and advice from Raymund.
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| Transferring Gabriel to the clinic, |
The dusky leaf monkeys
belong to the family of the Old World Monkeys and are classified as sub-species. They can be
found in Malaysia, Burma and Thailand and they live in dense forests. The
appearance of the dusky leaf monkey can be identified with its distinct white
spectacled fur markings around its eyes and mouth. Their palms and soles are
hairless and have distinct finger print markings and lines that resembles to
that of humans. Their diet compromises of mainly unripen fruits, leaves and
flowers from the sea bean tree and their digestive systems have the ability to
remove plant toxins. Newly born dusky leaf monkeys are bright orange in colour and
have a pink face. Within a span of six months, their fur will change from orange
to grey as they mature in age.
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The monkey was transported
by Zhen Yi by using vegetable crates. Despite the fact that it was a wild
monkey, it allowed Zhen Yi to carry him with his bare hands as he trusted his
kind-hearted rescuer. The dusky leaf monkey had multiple injuries and was in an
immense amount of pain but was still conscious throughout. Raymund quickly transferred
it to the clinic for a medical assessment as it was bleeding and scared as it
griped the cage tightly. Under Raymund’s guidance, his worker Kaz and two
volunteers, Clement and Joanne, they quickly remove the dirt that was stuck to
its fur and to assess its injuries.
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| Raymund cleaning Gabriel's wounds. |
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| Gabriel had a head injury from the accident. |
The assessment was bleak as
the monkey had a diaphragmatic hernia which causes the abdominal organs to be
pushed into the diaphragmatic cavity. Also, he had a cracked skull, a fractured
left femur, a broken pelvis and was in a state of shock due to the sheer impact
sustained in the collision. Raymund administered an analgesic which is a
painkiller and antibiotics to alleviate the pain and to prevent infection.
Also, they were preparing to put him on IV fluid but the monkey was already
gasping for air.
The monkey held on to Clement’s hand with both of his
hands to express his gratitude and courage that he was grateful for the people
that had done their best to try and save him. The monkey whom we name Gabriel
after the archangel of God passed away peacefully due to his fatal injuries.
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| Gabriel's hands are like ours. |
It was an emotionally
draining night for everyone as we could not save Gabriel which was only
estimated to be only four years old. However, as their friend and companions,
we knew that he had passed on by being surrounded by people who cared and loved
him. Gabriel’s story does not end here as it has opened our eyes to a bigger
picture which is the call for wildlife conservation which includes the
preservation of these animals’ natural habitats.
With the expansion of oil
plantations and rapid urbanisation, these factors have contributed to the dusky
leaf monkey’s habitat loss. Hunting for food has become a major threat for them
as they forced to move to areas near high traffic and urbanisation. They are
frequently victims of road-kill accidents and their species are listed as near
threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Also they are hunted for their meat, to being sold in the
pet trade and these factors have led to their decline in numbers. They can also
be found in Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia where there are efforts to
conserve them in a protected area.
As Noah's Ark animal welfare volunteers, through
Gabriel’s story, we can educate the public about protecting wildlife and conserving
their numbers by not destroying their habitat through unethical means. Our love
and respect to our fellow animals are important to let them know that we are
here for them as their only friend and crusader through thick and thin.
Rest well
Gabriel and run free at the rainbow bridge!
Written by Darren Chan
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Pictures about Dusky Leaf Monkeys:
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