Thai Vet Revives An Injured Cockroach, Oxygen Chamber Used In Rescue

Thai vet revives a cockroach

The cockroach is one of the oldest insects on Earth. But that won’t stop many household residents from exterminating them. Traditionally, they’re depicted as dirty pests, and probably one of our least favorite critters too.

However, a Thai vet named Dr. Thanu Limppannawanich, kept his vow to save all kinds of life – using extraordinary measures to revive this tiny cockroach.

Let’s take a closer look at how he gave an unlucky cockroach a new lease of life.

Vet revives cockroach in an oxygen chamber

An injured insect – specifically a cockroach – was brought into Dr. Thanu’s office at 10.30PM on 24th May 2021.

Although he wanted to save his ‘client’, the vet possessed limited knowledge of cockroach anatomy. To complicate matters, the cockroach’s hard exoskeleton made it impossible for the vet to inject any medication.

So, the cockroach was placed in an oxygen chamber.

Thai Vet Revives An Injured Cockroach, Oxygen Chamber Used In Emergency Rescue The rescued cockroach
Image credit: Matichon

Thankfully, Dr. Thanu’s decision to place him in an oxygen chamber proved fruitful.

The next morning, the cockroach showed healthy vital signs and was released outdoors, back into the wild.

Dr. Doolittle IRL saves the day

Turns out, the cockroach was brought to Dr. Doolittle IRL by a man who stepped on it by accident.

According to the kind stranger that brought the insect to Dr. Thanu, the cockroach he stepped on seemed to be experiencing shock.

Although it was still able to move around, they projected it to have only a 50% chance of survival.

Thai Vet Revives An Injured Cockroach, Oxygen Chamber Used In Emergency Rescue The stranger that brought the cockroach
Image credit: Matichon

However, Dr. Thanu still believed that the cockroach’s toughness would allow it to survive its injuries. Hence, his decision to place it in the oxygen chamber.

The vet also did not charge the man for the critter’s treatment, reported Work Point News 23.

A cockroach’s amazing ability to survive

We commend the compassion shown to the injured insect by both the vet, and the man who brought it in for treatment. But Dr. Thanu’s belief in the humble cockroach’s unparalleled adaptability to survive is not unfounded.

For thousands of years, these insects have been known to still produce viable eggs and ensure the continuation of their species, even through multiple extinction-level events.

They’re also quite resilient to gamma rays and remain scientists’ top picks to survive a nuclear apocalypse. TBH, we’re not exactly sure how we feel about that.

What do you think? Do you think cockroaches are tough survivors too? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Cover images adapted from: ธนู ลิมปพัฒนวณิชย์ (Left), Matichon (Right)

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