Beijing zoo treats paralyzed great ape with TCM therapies
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E-mail Xinhua, April 3, 2019
The Beijing Zoo has been treating a 32-year-old paralyzed orangutan, a reddish-haired great ape, with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies for years.
The female orangutan, named Pangpang, came to the zoo from Japan in 1989 when she was two years old. In 2008, she suddenly fell ill, which led to a loss of mobility, slow reaction, shrinking appetite and a bad temper.
Wang Zheng, who is in charge of the zoo's orangutan house, has been looking after Pangpang for 15 years. He was very worried and tried various ways to improve the orangutan's condition but nothing worked.
In 2016, he came up with an idea to treat her with TCM therapies. With a history of more than 2,000 years, TCM is known for its unique medical theories and practices, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage and dietetics.
"The massage and rehabilitation training are mild therapies and could perhaps alleviate Pangpang's pains," Wang said.
The first step was to identify the orangutan's acupuncture points. Wang purchased a special device and identified Pangpang's 19 common acupuncture points, which are quite similar to those of humans as orangutans share a high degree of genetic similarity with humans.
At 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day, she enjoys a 30-minute TCM massage, with the help of massage instruments.
In addition, she would be exposed to full-spectrum light for 30 minutes every day, which mimics sunlight and helps her absorb calcium.
"We also control her sugar intake and make sure that 60 percent of her meals are leafy vegetables," Wang said. They offer Pangpang spring onions containing zinc that helps animals grow.
In addition to TCM treatment, the keepers installed rings for Pangpang to improve arm strength and placed her feeding plate in different places to encourage her to move.
After more than two years of treatment, Pangpang can move and eat independently, though her movements are still not as agile as a healthy orangutan.
"The massage and training will continue. We hope she can lead a happy and healthy life when she's older," Wang said.
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