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Toys, fruits, diet chart: Odisha zoo rolls out red carpet for 5 orangutans
Confirmed
In Short: Five baby orangutans have been rescued in Odisha, India, prompting an investigation into potential smuggling and raising concerns about their welfare.
Five baby orangutans have been rescued from a forest in Odisha, India, and are now being cared for at the Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar, according to reports. The animals, which are not native to the region, are being fed every two hours according to a specially prepared diet chart, with mashed potatoes and mashed apples for the younger ones, and bananas and apples for the others.
Zoo officials are taking extra precautions to ensure the well-being of the orangutans, who are social animals and appear to enjoy staying together as a group. The Special Task Force of the Odisha police is revisiting old orangutan smuggling cases as part of an intensified probe to determine whether an organized trafficking racket is involved. The investigation is also examining the possibility that the animals were trafficked into the country and abandoned near a highway.
The orangutans, which live for an average of up to 40 years in the wild and can reach 50 to 55 years in captivity, are being housed in a temperature-controlled quarantine facility with round-the-clock monitoring. To keep them engaged, zoo officials have arranged toys and slings for the animals. The rescue operation was carried out early on Tuesday in Balasore district, where local people spotted the orangutans and alerted forest officials.
Forest Minister of Odisha has stated that investigators are examining whether the animals were trafficked into the country by an international smuggling network and abandoned near a highway. The orangutans, which are critically endangered species and not native to India, could not have reached Odisha naturally and may have been transported there by road, according to Balasore District Forest Officer Pratik Prakash Indalkar.
This is not the first time young orangutans have been found in India, raising concerns about the welfare of these animals and the potential for illegal wildlife trafficking. The Nandankanan Zoo is leaving no stone unturned to care for the five unexpected guests, with a special diet chart prepared in consultation with Mysore Zoo, which has valuable experience in caring for orangutans.
What's confirmed
- Five baby orangutans have been rescued from a forest in Odisha, India, and are now being cared for at the Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar, according to reports. The animals, which are not native to the region, are being fed every two hours according to a specially prepared diet chart, with mashed potatoes and mashed apples for the younger ones, and bananas and apples for the others.
- Zoo officials are taking extra precautions to ensure the well-being of the orangutans, who are social animals and appear to enjoy staying together as a group. The Special Task Force of the Odisha police is revisiting old orangutan smuggling cases as part of an intensified probe to determine whether an organized trafficking racket is involved. The investigation is also examining the possibility that the animals were trafficked into the country and abandoned near a highway.
- The orangutans, which live for an average of up to 40 years in the wild and can reach 50 to 55 years in captivity, are being housed in a temperature-controlled quarantine facility with round-the-clock monitoring. To keep them engaged, zoo officials have arranged toys and slings for the animals. The rescue operation was carried out early on Tuesday in Balasore district, where local people spotted the orangutans and alerted forest officials.
- Forest Minister of Odisha has stated that investigators are examining whether the animals were trafficked into the country by an international smuggling network and abandoned near a highway. The orangutans, which are critically endangered species and not native to India, could not have reached Odisha naturally and may have been transported there by road, according to Balasore District Forest Officer Pratik Prakash Indalkar.
- This is not the first time young orangutans have been found in India, raising concerns about the welfare of these animals and the potential for illegal wildlife trafficking. The Nandankanan Zoo is leaving no stone unturned to care for the five unexpected guests, with a special diet chart prepared in consultation with Mysore Zoo, which has valuable experience in caring for orangutans.
What's still developing
- Unusual sighting in an Odisha forest: 5 baby orangutans “We have rescued 5 baby orangutans and brought them to the forest office. 4 of the 5 babies are healthy. Veterinary doctors are examining and treating them”: Balasore Divisional Forest Officer Pratik Prakash Indalkar told… pic.twitter.com/P2emXEKOGI — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) September 8, 2026 Humans and orangutans share approximately 97 per cent of their DNA, and the animals are responding well to the care being provided by the animal keepers, the official said.
- The apes were found by locals in a forest in India's Odisha state Forest officials believe the orangutans had been in the area for only two or three days.