The Heartbreaking Truth: Orphaned Baby Orangutan Finds Solace in Hugging Herself After Losing Her Family. A Gripping Tale of Loneliness and the Search for Comfort in a Harsh World

This heartbreaking baby orangutan misses her mother so much she hugs herself constantly as a source of physical comfort.

Now the IAR have released a video showing the traumatic after effects Joss is dealing with as part of a campaign to raise funds for her treatment and care.

Baby orangutan Joss misses her mother so much she hugs herself constantly, pictured,

She was found in West Borneo by a team from International Animal Rescue who have since taken her to a rehabilitation centre, pictured, and are preparing her to eventually be returned to the wild

The little creature is seen repeatedly throwing herself onto the floor and banging her head against the wall, stopping only briefly when offered a bottle of milk by one of IAR’s vets.

She was owned by a man named Dahlan, who admitted buying the creature for around £25 because he felt sorry for her and did not realise it was illegal to keep the primates as Pets.

Joss lived in his house with his wife and four children, regularly being ‘treated like a cuddly toy’ which caused severe psychological harm to her, according to IAR vets.

When Dahlan realised he could not legally keep her he gave her up to the IAR.

She had previously been kept illegally as a Pet for two years by a family of six in West Borneo, pictured

IAR vets believe although the family were kind to her their cuddles and affection were traumatic

After examining and observing Joss, IAR veterinarian Jaclyn Eng said: ‘Joss hugs herself constantly because she misses the physical contact and comfort she should still be getting from her mother.

Joss hugs herself so much that the team of vets caring for her said she looked deformed to the naked eye

She was voluntarily handed over to the IAR by owner Dahlan, right, when he realised it was illegal to keep an orangutan as a Pet

‘We also tried to settle her down with a giant cuddly teddy bear but that didn’t help either. She just kept banging her poor head against the wall.’

Joss is the 99th orangutan taken to the IAR Indonesia rehabilitation centre and it will take many years of treatment before she is able to be released back into the wild.

Alan Knight OBE, IAR chief executive, added: ‘The video of Joss is so distressing that at first I wasn’t sure we should make it public.