International Animal Rescue Take Over Care of Baby Orangutan Who Lost the Will to Live.

Atmosphere - A veterinary team from International Animal Rescue is fighting for the life of a baby orangutan in Borneo so traumatised by the loss of his mother, and being snatched from the forest, that he completely lost the will to live. Udin, a tiny baby of only a few months old, was almost certainly clinging to his mother when she was shot or hacked down with a machete while trying to protect her infant. He was probably torn from her warm body before being sold as a pet to a local farmer. The ordeal had a severe effect on the little orangutan's health. He was kept locked up and alone in a small, dark cage - a terrifying experience for a young animal that would normally depend on his mother for comfort and protection during the first years of his life. When he arrived at the IAR Orangutan Centre in Borneo Udin showed no interest in his surroundings and turned away from the rescuers trying to save his life. He was severely malnourished and dehydrated but had no desire to eat, to drink or to live. His mind and body were detaching from the world around him. Pictures released today by International Animal Rescue shows the team comforting and caring for Udin shortly after his rescue: Vet nurse Sara has described how Udin literally "tried to die several times, but we wouldn't let him and just kept interacting with him and doing lots of physiotherapy and exercises so he could not ignore us and had to learn to trust us as his sole link to survival. Eventually, after around ten days, he turned a corner. He started to respond to us and show an interest in food. Finally there was a glimmer of light in his sad dark eyes." Although his condition is more stable, Udin still requires constant care and intensive medical treatment. Alan Knight, IAR Chief Executive, said: "The vets are doing everything they can to give Udin the best chance of survival. From the moment he was rescued, members of the team have stayed with him round-the-clock and still sleep on - Borneo, Indonesia - Thursday 30th July 2015 (1 Picture)