A birthday appeal to keep an orphaned orangutan in special formula milk for the next year has been wildly successful – with cans of the expensive powder now arriving daily at Monkey World near Wool in Dorset.
The infant orangutan Sibu Junior, a species critically endangered in the wild, has just celebrated his first birthday at the ape rescue centre, but as he continues to grow he needs more of the milk formula to build strong bones.
Sibu Junior investigates his special formula
Sadly intolerant to cow’s milk
Sibu had to be taken away from his mother at Dublin Zoo when he was just a few weeks old because his mother did not allow him to suckle, and he had to be hand reared to save his life.
He was moved to Monkey World – Europe’s only specialist orangutan creche – to be cared for by staff who have experience in looking after vulnerable infant primates, in a nursery designed specifically to meet their growing needs.
Sibu celebrated his first birthday with some new toys and a ball pit, in the company of his adoptive sister, 19 month old Kiwi, who was brought to Monkey World from a zoo in Alicante, Spain, in November 2024 after her mother rejected her.
Despite Sibu’s increasing independence, his keepers still need to give him milk feeds several times a day – but Sibu is unfortunately intolerant to the more usual cow’s milk formula, and the team have found he can only have a hypoallergenic variety, Neocate Junior Unflavoured.
More than 80 cans have already arrived at Monkey World since the appeal launched, but as Sibu will need around 120 to keep him going until his second birthday, staff hope that the generosity will continue.
Orangutan team leader Donna Phillips with some of the milk powder already sent in by concerned supporters
“People have been very generous”
Monkey World’s orangutan team leader Donna Phillips said:
“All other formulas make him unwell, and don’t give him the right level of nutrients, and as Neocate is an expensive milk powder, at around £45 a tin, we appealed to our supporters for any help in funding his milk.
“We were really excited to celebrate Sibu’s first birthday, but orangutans have the longest childhood of any primate apart from humans, and in the wild they would suckle until they are around four years old.
“As a one year old he is still growing, so this milk is really really important for him to form strong bones. He does have vegetables and fruit as well in his diet, but milk is the key thing he needs to get all the important nutrients as he is growing.
“If anyone wants to buy him a birthday present, our aim is to get a year’s supply of Neocate, which is about 120 tins, as one tin only lasts Sibu about three days – he does really get through it and we do need more, please!
“It is a lot, we appreciate, but people have been really generous already and we can’t thank them enough.”
Sibu and adoptive sister Kiwi celebrated Sibu’s first birthday in the orangutan creche
A specially designed play room
Director of Monkey World, Alison Cronin, added:
“Sibu Junior is our thirteenth orphaned orangutan to be cared for in our orangutan creche. We provide specialist care for these vulnerable orphans so that they can grow up living with others of their own kind.
“Sibu currently weighs just over six kilos and is getting through one tin of the Neocate formula every three days, and of course as he matures he will need more of it.
“Sibu and Kiwi live full-time in a specially designed play room within the orangutan nursery, which allows the vulnerable infants to see the older orangutans risk-free.
“Here they can build all the vital skills needed for adulthood, such as climbing, playing, socialising and growing strong, until they are big enough to be introduced to the other orphans.
“When young orangutans are unable to be reared by their mothers, they don’t learn the skills to enable them to look after their own children, so for little boys like Sibu Junior, growing up in our creche gives them the skills to live with women and children when they become fully mature males.”
Donna Phillips, right, and Anabel Ibanez brought Kiwi to Purbeck from Alicante
Rejected by her mother after birth
Kiwi, Sibu’s companion, arrived at Monkey World on Friday 15th November 2024, having been rejected by her mother shortly after birth, after which attempts to have her adopted by another female orangutan failed.
Donna Phillips spent a week with her in Spain and then, with Kiwi’s Spanish carer Anabel Ibanez, drove her through Spain and France to Calais before taking Kiwi into the UK on board the first class deck of P and O Ferries.
She almost immediately made friends with baby Sibu, spending mornings and evenings together with specialist Monkey World care staff, and have since become inseparable.
While the creche is a dedicated space for young orangutans, visitors can see them and learn about their care through viewing windows, or during specific talks and tours.
Baby Sibu met his new adopted sister almost as soon as Kiwi reached Monkey World in November 2024
“Hard work caring for two needy orphans”
Alison Cronin said:
“It is so important that the babies grow up with others of their own kind rather than with people so that they mature into healthy and well adjusted adults.
“It is hard work caring for two needy orphans but it means the kids will be able to grow up together under the watchful eyes of their older brothers and sisters and adopted mother, Oshine.
“It was really too bad that Sibu’s mother did not feed him, it was what everyone had hoped for, but in the end the team at Dublin Zoo saved the baby’s life and cared for him around the clock while necessary health checks and paperwork were completed for his transfer here.
“Sibu’s future in our nursery crèche is a long one as he will stay with us, growing up with other orang-utans for the next 10 years before having an adult group of his own someday.”
Watch Monkey World appeal
Further information
- To contribute to Sibu’s milk appeal, Neocate Junior Unflavoured available on Amazon, can be sent to Sibu’s Milk Appeal care of Monkey World, Longthorns, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6HH
- More about Monkey World on its website
