Toys, fruits, diet chart: Odisha zoo rolls out red carpet for 5 orangutans

The Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar announced that five baby orangutans—three males and two females—were rescued from a forest in Balasore district and brought to the park on Tuesday. Deputy director Pradeep Mirase confirmed that the juveniles underwent initial health examinations before being moved to a dedicated quarantine enclosure, where they are being monitored round‑the‑clock.

The quarantine setup includes a climate‑controlled environment, feeding every two hours according to a diet chart prepared with input from Mysore Zoo, and a range of toys and slings for enrichment. Two of the youngest are being given mashed potatoes and apples, while the others receive bananas, apples and milk. Officials plan to keep the orangutans in isolation for roughly 30 days, during which veterinary staff will screen for diseases and assess their overall condition. Preliminary observations suggest the animals may have originated from Borneo, though definitive species identification will await further morphological and genetic analysis.

The arrival of the orangutans follows the death of the zoo’s lone resident, Binny, in February 2019, and has prompted the Odisha police’s Special Task Force to reopen old smuggling investigations. The task force is gathering data on previous trafficking cases to determine whether an organized network is involved. Conservationists and local communities are watching closely, as the rescue highlights both the challenges of wildlife trafficking and the need for robust rehabilitation facilities in the state.