In a remote jungle wildlife reserve, a terrifying thunderstorm sent animals scattering for cover. Among them was a young Cubis monkey named Mino—small, scared, and separated from his troop. The skies cracked with thunder, and the forest echoed with the roar of rain. In a moment of panic, Mino darted across slippery branches to find his father, unaware that danger lurked beyond just the storm.
As Mino leapt from a tree, a lightning strike hit a nearby branch, startling him mid-air. He fell nearly 30 feet to the forest floor. When rangers found him hours later, he was barely conscious, his tiny body twisted and broken. Initial examination revealed what no one wanted to believe: multiple comminuted fractures—his limbs shattered in several places. His injuries were so severe that it almost looked like full skeletal separation.
Worse yet, the wounds had attracted flies in the humid jungle heat. By the time veterinarians began treatment, thousands of maggots had invaded his open wounds, burrowing into muscle and tissue. The situation was dire.
A difficult decision had to be made—perform a high-risk surgery to remove the dead tissue and rebuild his broken body, or attempt an unconventional, yet increasingly accepted, medical approach: maggot debridement therapy. After careful assessment, doctors combined both approaches.
Sterile maggots were introduced to clean the deepest infected areas, while surgeons carefully aligned bone fragments using tiny plates and pins. Over a week, the maggots removed necrotic tissue with precision, allowing the wounds to breathe and heal. Mino was sedated, fed through a tube, and monitored 24/7.
Slowly, his body began to mend. With physical therapy and constant care, Mino regained some strength. But the moment that brought tears to rescuers’ eyes was when Tano, Mino’s father, was allowed to visit. The emotional reunion was touching—Tano gently cradled his son, grooming him and staying by his side.
Mino’s survival is nothing short of a miracle. His story stands as a powerful symbol of resilience, cutting-edge veterinary care, and the unbreakable bond between a father and his child—even in the face of unimaginable pain.
