S. African rhino specialists sought to save ailing Puntung

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah veterinarians are seeking the help of South African rhino specialists to save Puntung, one of the three surviving Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia.

“We are in frequent contact with specialist rhino veterinary surgeons in South Africa, but they need to see her radiograph before deciding how to proceed,” Sabah Rhino sanctuary manager Dr Zainal Zainuddin said on Monday.

He said that Puntung was stubborn by nature and it has been difficult to X-ray her for further analysis of the abscess in her jaw.

“Whenever we try to get an X-ray, Puntung becomes irritated from the pain and injections as well as the attention focused on her,” he added.

Dr Zainal said heavy rain over the past four days did not help the situation, as Puntung’s paddock had become a big mud pool.

Puntung remains very ill from an abscess deep inside her upper jaw, but is showing signs of improvement.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Puntung’s recovery is by no means certain but he is cautiously optimistic.

“We are ready for any development and any outcome,” he said.

After the initial alert over her condition on April 5, it was found that Puntung suffered considerably over next two days.

“Normally, she will consume about 30kg of fresh leaves and twigs daily. She ate very little over those two days, and spent most of the day lethargic. There was intermittent bleeding from her left nostril. We really thought there was no hope,” Tuuga said, adding that the bleeding stopped on Saturday and she became more active.

Datuk Junaidi Payne, the executive director of Borneo Rhino Alliance – the non-governmental organisation tasked with caring for the rhinos at Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve – said a combination of constant attention as well as antibiotics, fruits and supplements might have turned the situation around.