KOTA KINABALU: No foul play is suspected in the death of an orang utan which was found floating down the Kinabatangan River on Monday (Feb 12).
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said preliminary diagnosis from a post-mortem indicated the adult male ape could have fallen into the river from a tree and drowned.
“There were no gunshot wounds but there was some bruising around the neck area, possibly from its fall,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Feb 13).
“The report mentioned that they could not determine the direct cause of death,” he added, referring to the report.
Tuuga said there were no external wounds observed and the skin of the carcass was peeling off because of bloating.
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“There were no signs of fracture... (and) all organs appeared normal,” he said.
Tuuga said the great ape, aged around 10 years, was believed to have died less than 24 hours before it was found.
He said the carcass was found with dead branches floating around it.
It was spotted by a Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) manager.
A post-mortem was conducted by a DGFC veterinarian after the carcass was brought on land, Tuuga added.
