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Archie embraces independence

Archie faced tragedy when he fell sick as a baby, leading to him being separated from his mother, a heart breaking decision but one that saved his life.

Archie was born to rehabilitated female, Mimi, at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in 2014. Shortly after, the Sepilok staff noticed that he was lethargic and weak. It looked as though he wasn't getting enough milk from his mother and needed an urgent health check.

Mimi with archie appeared dull and inactive with mom

Archie was dehydrated and needed round-the-clock care. In order to administer the appropriate treatment the difficult decision was made to separate him from his mum. He responded well and after a number of weeks was able to join the orphaned orangutans in the nursery.

Archie Content

Continued health issues concerned the staff as Archie grew. It was later discovered that he had an intolerance to cows milk, which is given as a substitute milk to all of the orangutans under their care. As an alternative, he was given a formula of goats milk.

ARCHIE MILK 2018 2

It wasn't long before Archie was thriving on the rehabilitation programme. His gentle and patient nature made him popular with the other orangutans and his charisma charmed everyone.

DSC07443 Archie 1

As he grew, so too did his personality! Walking around on two legs with his arms crossed, he earnt himself the nickname 'Boss' as it looked like he was always supervising the orangutans and the staff.

After 11 years, we were unsure if Archie would ever chose to leave the familiarity and support of Sepilok. With a difficult start and specialist needs he sometimes struggled to grasp the essential orangutan skills required in the wild.

Archie Standing Tall Orangutan Appeal UK

Through dedicated care and his resilience, he overcame these early challenges and has blossomed into a vibrant and happy orangutan. Archie has been able to overcome adversity, embrace his independence and we are confident that he is now thriving in the Sepilok-Kabili reserve.

Archie April 2024 Huging Forward facing 2

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