Mias the Orangutan

Listen Now
4min 53sec

Story reported and produced by Jonathan Brown.

Mias the orangutan lives at the Denver Zoo and he's been having trouble breathing. He was diagnosed with a disease that’s becoming more common among orangutans in zoos and in the wild. Two months ago, zoo veterinarian Dr. Deena Brenner developed a new course of medicine that included a nebulizer. It’s like an inhaler. Animal trainers, like Cindy Cossaboon, helped teach Mias how to use it to get his medicine. They began treating Mias in February. He’s breathing easier now and he’s more active. Dr Brenner will soon publish her findings in a journal of veterinary medicine. Both doctor and trainer talked with CPR’s Jonathan Brown about Mias and how his medical treatment could help orangutans around the world.