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DoodlebearsMy daughter Sarah and I have recently been back to Dorset's wonderful Monkey World. Since we got home the park owner Alison Cronin and her care team have recused a very over weight orangutan called Oshine. The female orange aged 13 has been put on a strict diet of fruit, yoghurt, lean meat and vegetables. Oshine the orang-utan is not happy about her new diet. After all, when you’re used to burgers, jelly and sweets, a plate piled high with salad is bound to be a bit of a disappointment.
Weighing in at a hefty 15 and a half stone, tubby Oshine gives a whole new meaning to the phrase Great Ape.
But now, Britain's fattest primate is changing her ways. Keepers at Monkey World in Dorset hope the 13-year-old will be back to normal size within a few months and ready to try for her first baby. Oshine arrived at the rescue centre from South Africa where she was kept as a pet since she was a baby. Dr Alison Cronin, director of Monkey World, said: 'As she grew older, her owners found they could only keep her calm by constantly feeding her. They meant well, but it was misguided care.'
The owners contacted Monkey World two years ago when they realised they could not offer Oshine a healthy lifestyle as a pet. She flew the ten and a half hours to Heathrow on August 31 in a specially designed cage and was immediately placed on a diet. Although a fully-grown adult, Oshine is now living in the orangutan creche at Monkey World. She will live alongside four captive born babies born in European zoos who have been abandoned by their mothers.
The Monkey World team say living alongside babies will teach Oshine 'how to be an orangutan'.
Once she loses weight, gets fitter, and understands more about ape behaviour, she will 'graduate' into one of two breeding groups where it is hoped that she can start her own family.
Hugs, Jane. 
DENBY BEARS
That poor baby girl, look at her weight. People do not realize how harmfull it is to raise wild animals. I am sure now that she has the care she needs she will become a wonderfull well groomed orangutan, I feel so bad for her. I can not wait to see her in about 6 months. Please keep us informed Jane, we will be anxious to hear more.
Thanx so much for sharing
Hugs Pat
Is she one of the Russian girls from a few seasons ago? Poor thing...
The Littlest ThistleAww, I saw her photo in the paper earlier, hope she does well on her diet
Hi Jane,
Sweet baby girl, and must be so hard carrying around all that weight.
I really hope that she can lose the weight and hopefully start a family of her own.
So good that she has been rescued and will now be able to live a healthy life.
Thanks for sharing this story.
Hugs
Carolyn
:hug:
Past Time BearsThank goodness Oshine is now receiving the correct kind of care. Am sure she will eventually be a good orangutan mommy
PennsylvaniaOh, wow! That is one fat ape!
I don't think I've ever seen one that fat. 
Yeah, she needs to be on a diet but I don't think a strict no-frills diet is right. She's used to eating junk and she won't be happy eating nothing but "twigs and berries." What will happen is that, the first chance she gets she'll eat anything and everything she can get her hands on, regardless of whether it's good or not.
Yes, she needs to eat her veggies and learn to eat things that orangutans should eat but I think she should get one or two of the foods she's used to at reasonable intervals. At first, once or twice per day. Then, after she's acclimated to her new home, only once or twice per week. After that, only on special occasions should she get a treat then, finally, she can be on a normal diet.
It's just like the same thing that happens to people. If they go on a "heathy" diet and never eat a treat, they become prone to binge eating later on. If they make a promise with themselves to eat a healthy diet and slowly taper off, they're more likely to maintain a healthy diet.
First, people should keep a good diet and only treat themselves to a small dessert after dinner IF they have eaten healthy all day long. After that, they should maintain a healthy diet all week and only treat themselves on Saturday evening.
I made a deal with myself to eat healthy all month long and, if I do, I can eat anything I want on the first day of each month. So, if I eat all my veggies all month long and don't eat any junk food I can go to Burger King *ONE* time.'
Y'know... After I do that for a few months, I start losing the urge to eat junk food at all.
At first, I would go out and have my burger fix but, then after a while, I only went out and had an ice cream cone instead.
Previously, If I deprived myself of ALL junk food all the time, I would have more frequent junk food binges. But gradually weaning off junk food solved that problem, almost completely.
I think this would be a good strategy for the orangutan, too.
Posts: 99OHHHHH MYYYY!!!! That poor thing!! It's funny how the previous owners meant well...just like alot of us humans 'mean well' when we give our kids all that junk food that's plastered all over the t.v. and packed along the grocery aisles. We just want to make them 'happy'...and unfortunately this is the result much of the time. I'm glad she has a pro taking care of her...what's sad is that she probably doesn't understand why she can no longer have the food that she's been used to, so I hope they counter-act that with alot of attention.
I agree with you 'US BEARS'...if you get used to not eating something, your body really does stop craving it after a while. That's what happened with me with red meat and pork. I haven't eaten pork in over a year and I've eaten red meat probably twice in the past year. But OMG...I can't seem to get enough of my Bryers coffee ice cream lately...I go through a 1/2 gallon in 2 days!! WHAT IS WITH THIS WHOLE MENOPAUSE THING!!!! :crackup: :crackup:
~Vicki
DoodlebearsUs Bears said
Yeah, she needs to be on a diet but I don't think a strict no-frills diet is right. She's used to eating junk and she won't be happy eating nothing but "twigs and berries." What will happen is that, the first chance she gets she'll eat anything and everything she can get her hands on, regardless of whether it's good or not.
Whilst you make some reasonable points, I have to point out that as an orangutan, Oshine doesn't have to face one of the most complex issues in human obesity - that of food choice. She is provided with all of her food, so at no point can succumb to the temptation of nipping out to Burger King. Also, as she'll only be able to get her hands on what she is provided with and it is highly unlikely that there will be any binging on unhealthy foods, which she will be unable to access. The care staff are constantly learning about the nutritional and behavioural requirements of the many species of primate at Monkey World and they are constantly changing and improving their husbandry standards. Each animal has a balanced diet, regular health screening and excellent keeper observation and care.
Well done on weaning yourself off junk food, though! It sounds like a good method, just one better suited to humans.
Jane.
PennsylvaniaYou're right but I was just suggesting...
This orangutan is a little different. She is used to eating people food. She is used to living in a human environment and probably knows more about how to open doors and get into drawers or cupboards and things. She was reported to get cranky when she isn't given the food she wants.
The thing that goes in our favor is that she's too fat. She'll probably less likely to be trouble in a proper monkey enclosure because there are less things for her to get into trouble with. The times when she does become troublesome will be less because she's too fat to move around like a skinny orangutan can.
She should be on a proper diet. Not arguing that.
I just think that the first order of business would be to keep her quiet during the first few days or weeks of being in a new environment. Completely changing her environment, moving her to a new home, being around new people and new orangutans is probably pretty stressful. I'm just saying she should have SOMETHING that is familiar, even if only for a little while.
Dogs and apes are certainly different but when we got a new dog, we always bought the same kind of food it had been eating before we adopted it. After a few days, we started changing his food to what we fed all the other dogs. We always eased them into their new diet.
I'm just suggesting the orangutan be eased into her new diet too. 
Boechout, AntwerpHi Jane,
Thank you for sharing this story with us.
Although I am very happy that Oshine is now in a good place, with people who know how to take care of an orang-utan, I can't help feeling furious at her previous "owners". They may have had the best intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. They probably thought it was very cute taking in a baby orang-utan, but for heaven's sake you know that she is going to grow up to be a big wild animal !! :mad:
And to feed her junk food and sweets to keep her calm (with no regard for her health, I might add) is just plain criminal. I would hardly qualify it as "misguided care".
When will people learn that wild animals are NOT PETS ??
Please keep us up to date how Oshine is doing. (I am sure you will go and visit her a few times in the coming months 
)
Hugs, :hug:
Peter & George
Chaska, MinnesotaPoor little thing. It is hard for humans or animals to diet when they love food. It really does show that people have no business keeping exotic animals for pets. So many things can go wrong when they are not fully informed of the correct lifestyle, diet and health of these glorious animals. It is good she is in good hands now even though she is not eating what she wants, she will feel better in the long run.
Woodbury Park BearsI don't think she could be in a better place for her health both physical and mental except to be in the wild which she could never cope with. I agree with Peter she is in a terrible state because of human interference. The people at Monkey World will provide her with eveything she will need for the rest of her life and I for one will follow her progress and look forward to her being with her own kind in a family enviroment as soon as she is fit enough.
puca bearsthanks for sharing this with us Jane. Poor baby - another example of misguided "kindness". At least she is in a good place now - and will be properly fed and eventually share her life with others of her kind.
huggies
Maria
