Odisha: Three rescued orangutans anaemic; DNA tests planned to trace their origin

Blood tests have found severe anaemia in one and mild anaemia in two of five rescued baby orangutans at Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park, as officials conducted health tests and collected samples to establish their origin.

Three of five rescued baby orangutans at Odisha’s Nandankanan zoo were found anaemic; officials also collected samples for DNA testing to trace their origin.The animals underwent a comprehensive health examination on Wednesday by a technical committee constituted by the state’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Prem Kumar Jha.

X-rays of their chest, abdomen and skull were taken, while blood, serum and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected, said Nandankanan zoo deputy director Pradip Mirase. He said supportive supplements have been started on the committee’s advice.

“The blood samples will also be tested for parameters including haemoglobin and white blood cell counts. Stool and urine samples are being examined as part of the broader health assessment,” Mirase added. Officials said one orangutan developed a high temperature on Sunday and was given medication.

They said all five were stable, with temperatures between 98 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. “All five are apparently stable, with normal feed acceptance and improved activity,” an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

The animals are being fed milk every two hours, along with apple and banana fluids and boiled potatoes at regular intervals under a diet plan prepared by experts. Officials said they will soon send blood samples for DNA testing to help establish where the orangutans came from.

“An appropriate laboratory needs to have the standard DNA sample profile of orangutans for comparison. Such laboratories are not very common,” the official said. Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades.

With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions.

He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha.

His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states.

His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections.

In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More