A Little Monkey Business

“It’s not your typical call,” says Andy Simmons Jr., vice president of field operations for Atlanta-based Cornerstone Medical.

Not by a long shot.

On April 28, the respiratory provider got an urgent call from officials at Zoo Atlanta requesting oxygen equipment for a four-week-old baby orangutan. His name is San-dar, which means “to rely on,” and he is relying on a lot of help as he fights for his life.

When Miri, an 18-year-old Bornean orangutan, gave birth at the zoo on March 30, the baby was small and not as active and alert as expected. Zoo veterinarians decided to remove the baby from his mother to hand-rear the infant, which involves constant monitoring and round-the-clock care. A pediatric pulmonologist and cardiologist from nearby Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are consulting in treating the baby orangutan.

“We pulled the equipment together at the branch location and arrived at the zoo at 7 p.m.,” says Simmons. “The baby orangutan was quarantined, so we had to scrub up and wear protective coverings.”

The room was warm, with a reclining chair where neo-natal intensive care nurses from the children’s hospital volunteer to hold the baby orangutan 24 hours a day. A pulse oximeter was attached to its tiny foot, which is “about the size of your pinky,” says Simmons. “He’s a cute little fella.”

The baby orangutan had previously been breathing with the help of an oxygen tank. Cornerstone Medical replaced the tank with an oxygen concentrator and other equipment, including a pediatric flow adjustment to enable the oxygen flow to be reduced in line with the small-sized patient and set at appropriate levels to encourage his lungs to develop.

“It was uncanny how much this orangutan looked like a real baby, especially the way [zoo employees] were caring for it,” says Simmons. “We spent about three hours there training [the zoo team] on how to switch over the various modalities of the oxygen.”

The veterinary division at AirSep, Buffalo, N.Y., has since donated a 10-liter NewLife Intensity oxygen concentrator to the zoo to supply the fragile animal’s needs.

Bornean orangutans are endangered because of over-harvesting of timber and human encroachment in their native habitat, according to Zoo Atlanta officials. Experts predict the species could be extinct in 10 years without targeted conservation efforts.

While his outlook remains guarded, at press time San-dar had begun to feed from a bottle, which zoo representatives say is an important step. Once the new baby grows strong enough, he will be reintroduced to his orangutan family.

“We were glad to be a part of it,” Simmons says.