Odisha sets up expert panel to care for five rescued baby orangutans

The Odisha government has constituted a five-member technical committee to oversee the care of five baby orangutans rescued from Balasore district, officials said on September 13, 2026. The animals, which are not native to India, are currently housed at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.

The panel will assess issues related to the welfare and upkeep of the rescued animals and provide technical inputs for their proper care, an order said. The director of Nandankanan Biological Park will serve as the member-convener. The members include a veterinary officer from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru, a representative of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the project coordinator of the Centre for Wildlife Health, OUAT, Bhubaneswar. The committee may also consult or co-opt experts and organisations of national and international repute whenever required.

Round-the-clock monitoring in place

Chief Wildlife Warden and PCCF (Wildlife) P.K. Jha said the state's immediate priority was to ensure the five animals receive the best possible care at Nandankanan's hand-rearing centre. Three caretakers and doctors are engaged round the clock to monitor the health condition of the babies.

The rescued orangutans are gradually becoming familiar with their caretakers and readily accepting food from them, said Aditya Acharya, head of OUAT's Wildlife Treatment Centre. "The caretakers are like new mothers to the baby orangutans," he said. Mr. Acharya said the animals' ease in interacting with the caretakers suggested they had been in contact with humans and received care previously.

Specialised diet and enrichment

A caretaker at Nandankanan's quarantine unit said the animals were being fed milk every two hours, along with apple and banana fluids and boiled potatoes at regular intervals, as per a dietary chart prepared by experts. The orangutans have also been provided with soft toys and swings and are made to listen to music to keep them stress-free, officials said.

One of the five babies has recovered from fever, while two others have recovered from cold, they said, adding that the collection of blood samples for DNA testing has been postponed for around 10 days. The five orangutans were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Bhograi block of Balasore district on September 8.

Smuggling investigation underway

The Odisha Police's Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) have intensified their investigation into international wildlife smuggling involved in the case.

Source: The Hindu