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

Toys, fruits, diet chart: Odisha zoo rolls out red carpet for 5 orangutans On Tuesday, five baby orangutans were rescued from a forest in the state's Balasore district, raising reservations that a global smuggling ring may be involved since the animals are.

Key points

• It died in February 2019 at the age of 41 from respiratory problems.
• While they can reach 50 to 55 years in captivity, according to forest authorities, orangutans live for an average of up to 40 years in the wild.
• Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha.
• Authorities are working closely with the Wildlife Institute of India to keep the animals comfortable.
• The zoo's deputy director remarked they suspect the animals are from Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia.

For context, a temperature-contr­olled quarantine facility, round-the-clock monitoring, bananas and apples every two hours, and plenty of toys and slings – the Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar is leaving no stone unturned to care for five unexpected guests.

Afterwards that evening, the five were brought to Nandankanan Zoological Park. Pradeep Mirase, the zoo's deputy director, remarked the animals – three males and two females – underwent health check-ups and were taken to a quarantine centre.

Ensuring the right nourishment for the new guests is another priority for zoo authorities. A special diet chart has been prepared in consultation with Mysore Zoo, home to three orangutans and with valuable experience caring for the species.

"They are being fed every two hours as per a diet chart. As two of them are particularly young, the animal keepers are feeding them mashed potatoes and mashed apples. The others are eating bananas and apples. We are additionally feeding them milk, " stated a senior zoo official. 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 informed. 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 remarked.

To keep them engaged in the quarantine facility, zoo authorities have arranged toys and slings. And since orangutans are social animals, zoo authorities stated they appear to enjoy staying together as a group.

Authorities are working closely with the Wildlife Institute of India to keep the animals comfortable. As per protocol, the animals will be kept in quarantine for almost 30 days, during which their health will be monitored, and they will be assessed for any underlying diseases.

In practice, the zoo's deputy director remarked they suspect the animals are from Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia. "To determine their exact species and evaluate phenotypic characters like physical and observable traits, more analysis is required, " remarked Mirase.

Scientists generally rely on a combination of visual dichotomous keys, morphological measurements and modern genetic analysis to determine the exact species. "If it's required, it will be done at a later stage, after due approval from the authorities concerned, " he remarked.

Asked if the animals will be kept at Nandankanan after the quarantine period ends, Mirase remarked no decision had been taken so far. "Once they stabilise, we will seek approval from the central zoo authorities to keep them here. If allowed, we will do the enrichment for them and hope they will acclimatise to the conditions here, " he remarked.

Nandankanan Zoo had an orangutan named Binny. It died in February 2019 at the age of 41 from respiratory problems. It was, at the time, the country's only orangutan and had been brought from Pune in 2003. Prior to Pune, it was in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the Special Task Force of the Odisha police is revisiting old orangutan smuggling cases as it intensifies its probe to determine whether an organised trafficking racket is involved.

"We are analysing similar cases and contacting teams that looked into them. We are at present gathering data and carrying out local inquiries, " DIG K V Singh informed The Indian Express. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people's stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87.

For now, toys, fruits, diet chart: Odisha zoo rolls out red carpet for 5 remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.