Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia Wednesday said the local climate suits the rescued baby orangutans kept in quarantine in a special temperature-controlled enclosure at a zoo here, and their health is gradually improving.
The minister said teams of specialist doctors regularly check the animals’ health, and their weight is increasing.
Five baby orangutans, not native to India, were rescued from a forest in Odisha’s Baleshwar district September 8, triggering an international wildlife trafficking investigation. They were shifted to Nandankanan Zoo on the same day and kept in a special quarantined place.
“The climate of Odisha suits the orangutans. Special care is being taken, and they are being monitored 24 hours. The weight of the orangutans has also increased,” the minister told reporters here.
Singhkhuntia said that the DNA test of the orangutans will be conducted very soon to ascertain their origin.
“Contact has been established with the Zoological Society of India (ZSI) for the DNA test. Samples will be sent. After the DNA test report comes, it will be clear which country they originated. After the report comes, the Government of India will also be informed,” he said.
Nandankanan sources said that there has been a remarkable gain in the weight of baby orangutans.
While the weight of a male baby (M1) was 5.6 kg September 22, it increased to 6.05 kg September 26. All others also show improvement in their body weights, they said.
The orangutan babies are apparently healthy and showing normal appetite, behaviour and activity levels are gradually improving. Their faecal consistency is also normal, the zoo authority said.
Asked about the probe into how the primates came to Odisha forest, the minister said the Crime Branch of Odisha Police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) are investigating the matter.
“The state government is not updated on the probe as there were floods and rain. We will soon review the progress made in the investigation,” the minister said.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Forest and Environment and Climate Change Department Secretary Bhaskar Sarma, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF WL) P K Jha visited orangutans in the zoo Sunday.
During her visit, the chief secretary directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the baby primates and close monitoring of their health condition.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida is scheduled to visit them Wednesday.
The zoo authority was contemplating shifting the orangutans to a larger enclosure at the Nandankanan Zoological Park as their activities are increasing, officials said.
Nandankanan Zoo already has a special enclosure for the animal, which remained empty after the death of a 41-year-old orangutan in 2019. The female orangutan was brought to Nandankanan from Pune in 2003.
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