Odisha: Technical team examines health condition of rescued orangutans

Bhubaneswar - A technical team comprising veterinary officers from Delhi Zoo and the Wildlife Institute of India conducted an examination of five rescued orangutan cubs at the Nandankanan Zoological Park, the zoo reported on Sunday. The team advised the zoo to administer medicines to completely eradicate the animals' worm load, it said.

The team visited the quarantine facility at the zoo on Saturday to assess the health of the baby orangutans, according to a zoo health bulletin. The experts recommended gradually increasing the feed quantity and introducing solid food into the animals' diet. The orangutans' body temperatures were found to be between 98.6 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, and their overall health condition was stable, the zoo noted.

The team also highlighted that three of the five cubs suffered from anaemia, with one experiencing severe anaemia and the others mild anaemia, after undergoing in-house haematology analysis. Native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, the orangutans were rescued from a forest in Balasore district on September 8 and have been under quarantine at the zoo since.

Local police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are currently investigating suspected international wildlife smuggling, though no major breakthroughs have been reported yet.