Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - A female orang-utan made obese by junk food
fed to her by visitors has been put on a strict diet amid health
concerns, an official in eastern Malaysia said Friday
Named Jackie by park officials, she has been allowed only leafy
vegetables and "fruits that contain fibrous material" since she was
moved to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Kota Kinabalu in the state of
Sabah, said state wildlife assistant director Sen Nathan.
After two decades in a nearby wildlife park where visitors fed her
junk food, the 22-year-old primate weighed 100 kilograms, twice the
normal weight, when she was relocated on March 21, he said.
"Now her body weight has come down to around 85 kilograms and she
looks more firm and she can move easily without panting," Sen said by
email.
Tests showed Jackie to be otherwise healthy, but she was to be
quarantined for another six months before release into the wild.
Orang-utans, native to Malaysia and Indonesia, are endangered by
poaching and habitat loss from deforestation.
Copyright 2013 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH