Latest news with #AlisonCronin
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Monkey World ape sanctuary appeal to fund milk for baby orangutan
A primate sanctuary has appealed for public funding to help it feed a baby orangutan, which has World Ape Rescue Centre in Wareham, collected Sibu Jr when he was just 12 weeks old and on 31 July he celebrated his first was born at Dublin Zoo but had to be moved to Dorset for specialist care, after his mother would not allow him to infant is allergic to the traditional cows milk formula feed and requires a more expensive alternative, which is why the centre is appealing for public support. In the wild orangutans would suckle until around four years old, which means keepers need to give him milk feeds several times a of Monkey World, Dr Alison Cronin, said he currently weighs just over 6kg and is getting through one tin of hypoallergenic milk formula a day and as he matures he will need to consume added that he does eat fruit and vegetables but the formula is "essential for strong bone growth".Sibu Jr is Monkeyworld's 13th orphan orangutan to be cared for in their "Orangutan Creche".He lives full-time in a specially designed playroom with his adoptive sister, 19-month-old Kiwi, who was also rejected by her mother in a zoo in pair can see the older orangutans risk-free from their enclosure, where they can learn vital skills needed for adulthood until they are strong enough to be introduced to the other orphans. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Oranga Tamariki practice of motel accommodation continues despite calls to stop
Oranga Tamariki does not know how or when it will be able to avoid using motels. Photo: RNZ Children in Oranga Tamariki care are still being checked into motels despite years of calls to stop. The Children's Commissioner said the "unacceptable" practice had become normalised, and the agency itself agreed it was not okay. But Oranga Tamariki did not yet know how or when it could avoid using motels. "No one really thinks it's ideal that children and young people stay in motels," said tamariki and whānau services national commissioner North Alison Cronin. "I think it's still happening because we really do have a lack of ... immediate resources for children who are coming into care, or their placements may have broken down." Figures released to RNZ showed in 2022, 224 children in Oranga Tamariki care stayed in motels. That dropped to 187 in 2023, then 185 last year. In the first five months of this year, 99 have stayed in motels. Since 2022 the most common length of stay was one night, but the average was 19 nights - which Oranga Tamariki said was skewed due to the few who had longer stays, some for more than 100 nights. Motels were only used as a last resort "following a careful exploration of possible alternatives," the agency said. Some children were placed in motels because of "extremely challenging" behaviours that put themselves or others at risk. For others, Oranga Tamariki said it was better for the children to be in a place where it's easier to keep up family contact, go to school or access support services while a longer term placement was being arranged. The young people - which include babies less than a year old - are cared for by family members, care providers or "briefly" by Oranga Tamariki staff. They were supported to maintain their routines like school, community activities, and contact with family, it said. Cronin said Oranga Tamariki was exploring how to stop the use of motels, but she could not give a timeframe on that piece of work. "We haven't quite got the answers at the moment," she said. "I think one of the the major issues is we don't have enough physical homes or houses or places for children to stay, which is why we end up defaulting to motels." Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said that it was isolating and unstable for children. "If we look at the data, it's clear that unfortunately this practice has become somewhat normalised over the last few years and Oranga Tamariki needs to focus on it as one of the basics that it needs to get right, and it needs to change," she said. "It needs to increase its availability of pre-approved caregivers and over the long term, I'd really like to see more community based group home living environments available for children in need of care and protection." Achmad also wanted people across the country to consider becoming caregivers. "I encourage people to step up and consider whether they might be able to take on this kind of role, which can make a huge difference for children and young people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
