Baby Orangutan Was Rescued After Being Found Chained To A Kitchen Shelf

We will never understand a person's fascination with keeping a wild animal as a household pet. Sure, they are beautiful, but they do not belong living among humans. They belong in the wild where they were born. Baby Bonika was only 18-months-old when she was rescued after spending the last six months chained to a shelf in someone's kitchen.

Chained

Bonika, the orangutan, is just 18-months-old, and instead of being with her mother where she belongs, she has been chained to a kitchen shelf while being kept as a family pet in Borneo. The only time she was unchained from the shelf was when she was allowed to play with the man's child.

Nowhere to go

The rest of the time, Bonika was kept chained to a kitchen wall. The chain was so tight that she was very uncomfortable. Plus, it was too short for her to do anything more than move from side to side.

Malnourished

Not only was she stranded on this plank used as a shelf, she was also very malnourished. The man was feeding her human foods like biscuits, sugar cane, rice, bread, and baby milk.

Where is the mother?

International Animal Rescue (IAR) found out about Bonika and rushed to come to her aid. Her owner claimed that they found her one day while walking to work. He said she was thin, so they rescued her and brought her home. IAR speculates that Bonika's mother was likely killed because a mother orangutan will not willingly separate from their baby.

Doing Well

IAR posted an update saying that Bonika is now in good hands and will no longer be kept in chains. She will spend some time in quarantine but will soon be introduced to the other apes at IAR's orphanage for orangutans.

Critically Endangered Species

In July, orangutans were classified as critically endangered because of the palm oil trade and the illegal pet trade. At least little Bonika will now have a chance to grow and thrive in a proper environment.

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