Conserving Nigeria’s primates through sustainable rainforest conservation, community partnerships, education, primate rehabilitation and research.
This past week, a lot of my time and worries went to our smallest tantalus monkey, James. Usually the most playful of the lot, one morning we found him inactive and with watery eyes. He lost his appetite for both playing and food! We quickly took him into the lab and gave him deworming medication, vitamins, and lots of his favourite food in the hope to pull him out of the sad state he was in.
James in better times, active and mischievous!
James gave us even more worries by refusing to take metrodinazole. Any time he gets it – whether pill or liquid form – he swallows, but immediately makes himself vomit losing all the medications! Luckily, we could give it to him with an intravenous injection, and with success! His diarrhoea is gone and his appetite is improving.
Now, we are waiting for his condition to improve and especially his weight to go up. His temperature still drops at times, so we keep a close eye on him in the clinic. Being a very social animal, James misses his friends so we all take turns to keep him company. James arrived earlier this year after spending his three months quarantine period at the Drill Ranch in Calabar. His previous caretakers also make regular visits to keep James company during his lonely confinement in the clinic!
James in the clinic
I hope that James is better soon.
Hello…we had recently a similar situation with three of last year’s babies [now 1.5-2 years]…sudden drop of body weight, diarrhoe, fever etc….tests were done by two different Vets, deworming and treatment for Coxxidae parasites were given with no results of bettering their condition….with intensive care we are getting them back to normal…but at tiny slowly steps….it was suggested that the stress and cold of being their first season in Rehab outside with the troop they had been integrated into last year Aug-September might be the cause…..can you help us with some more input from your side ? What IV injection did you give him ? We are treating them sc with Amynin injection [vitamins and proteins] but also had to give bubbles at their worst stage of weight loss due to appetite loss and diarrhoea…. I’m looking forward to hearing from you and exchange experience to save our primates….with lots of monkey luvies from Bambelela in South Africa, Silke
Keeping my fingers crossed for James. And SO glad to see the blogging restarted – never enough news about daily challenges at Cercopan!