• Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article
We Are South Devon
Advertisement
  • Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article
No Result
View All Result
We Are South Devon
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article

New vet scholarship aids wild orang utans

We Are South Devon by We Are South Devon
October 2, 2019
in Charity News

Two vets from Indonesia are the first to benefit from a unique new scholarship programme run by a Cornish vet charity. OVAID – Orang utan Veterinary Aid – is run by Nigel and Sara Hicks, based in Launceston. They help hard-pressed orang utan rescue centres and sanctuaries with veterinary support and donations of equipment.

The new OVAID Bronwyn Scholarship meant that two South East Asian vets were able to make the 12,000 kilometre (7,500 mile) journey to the UK to exchange techniques and information on the care and welfare of orang utans.

RelatedPosts

Santa welcomes you to Marldon Christmas Tree Farm!

Birthday Bob donates to Exmouth RNLI

Funeral team takes to the sky to raise thousands for Rowcroft Hospice

During their stay they spent a week with vets and animal keepers at Paignton Zoo in Devon. Paignton Zoo Head Vet Ghislaine Sayers: “We discussed planning and reviewing procedures and looked at pieces of equipment that they rarely get a chance to use. We shared our experiences of working with orang utans and they shared theirs – we have learned from them and they have learned from us!”

The two work in different orang utan rescue centres, one in Borneo, one in Sumatra (1,500 kilometres West of Borneo). Arga Kusuma is from the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centre at Nyaru Menteng, Central Kalimantan, Borneo. He features prominently in the Channel 4 TV documentary series ‘Orangutan Jungle School’. Pandu Wibisono is a vet at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) remote release site at Jantho, Aceh, Sumatra.

Paignton Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling: “It was great to have Arga and Pandu here, and to help OVAID’s wonderful work. A week wasn’t long enough for everything our vets and our keepers wanted to do with them. They enjoyed their time here and it’s great that knowledge from experts in Devon will help care for orang utans in Borneo and Sumatra.”

The four-month scholarship also enabled the two to spend time at Liverpool University Vet School and with specialist vet practices in the UK. The scholarship has been established with generous funding from the late Bronwyn Watson of Australia and will enable a number of Indonesian vets to increase their expertise over the coming years.

Arga, Pandu, Nigel and Sara were interviewed at Paignton Zoo by BBC Inside Out South West for a film to be shown later in the year. Paignton Zoowww.paigntonzoo.org.uk, OVAIDwww.ovaid.org.

You can join us on our social media pages, follow us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date with whats going on in South Devon.

Got a news story, blog or press release that you’d like to share or want to advertise with us? Contact us

Related Posts

Charity News

Santa welcomes you to Marldon Christmas Tree Farm!

September 21, 2023
Charity News

Birthday Bob donates to Exmouth RNLI

September 20, 2023
Charity News

Funeral team takes to the sky to raise thousands for Rowcroft Hospice

September 19, 2023
Charity News

Sea safety takes centre stage as local homebuilding supports RNLI’s efforts in Devon

September 13, 2023
Charity News

Sally Gunnell OBE champions cancer charity Cancer Support UK

September 14, 2023
Charity News

Special guests visit Exmouth RNLI

September 11, 2023
  • Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article

© 2023 We Are South Devon Brought to you by Griffiths Networking

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an article

© 2023 We Are South Devon Brought to you by Griffiths Networking