A baby orangutan is in safe hands for the first time in his life after a rescue team discovered him lying in a mummified state in a cardboard coffin.
International Animal Rescue believed the corpse-like creature to be dead when they found him resting with his tiny arms folded across his lifeless body
They believed that Gito had been bought for less than £20 from a man who had almost certainly killed his mother in order to steal and sell her baby.
He was kept in a cardboard box sodden with urine and fed entirely on condensed milk, which resulted in him becoming severely dehydrated and malnourished.
The team were shocked by the state of the animal and took him to the orangutan rehabilitation centre for immediate medical attention
The rescuer team deduced that the baby ape, around three-to-four-months-old, was being kept as a pet
Gito had been bought for less than £20 from a man who had almost certainly killed his mother in order to steal and sell her baby
Transporting the orangutan to the clinic, the team were required to set off at sunrise by motorbike and arrived nine hours later to find the medical team at the centre awaiting the arrival of the sick baby.
The ape was kept in a cardboard box sodden with urine and fed entirely on condensed milk, which resulted in him becoming severely dehydrated and malnourished
Gito was put on a drip to rehydrate him and given a thorough medical check-up, which included the team massaging coconut oil into his skin to soothe it and relieve the itching
The rescue team also found Gito to be feverish, with stiff hands and feet and suffering from diarrhoea
Alan Knight, Chief Executive of International Animal Rescue, said that it’s hard to stomach the shocking state Gito was in when he was rescued
The ape was suffering from a highly contagious skin disease that caused intense itching and irritation
Resilient: The baby orangutan has recovered after he was discovered lying in a mummified state in a cardboard coffin
Gito is in safe hands now and receiving expert treatment and care at the centre in Ketapang
