Two of the five orangutans that were rescued from the Baleshwar district of Odisha are currently receiving treatment at Nandankanan Zoological Park, according to officials. The three other orangutans are reported to be stable.

Deputy Director Pradeep Mirase stated that one of the orangutans has developed a fever and is under medical supervision, but is showing signs of recovery. Another young orangutan has been treated for a worm infection diagnosed through stool tests.

To prevent any cross-infection, the area where the animals are housed is being routinely disinfected. Zoo officials plan to conduct DNA tests on all five orangutans after they have fully recovered, with blood samples to be taken ten days post-recovery, following the directives of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

The five orangutans were rescued from a wooded region in Baleshwar on September 8, raising concerns as this species is not indigenous to Odisha or India.

Odisha’s Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, indicated that measures are being taken to ensure the long-term care of all five orangutans at Nandankanan. In the meantime, a collaborative investigation involving the Special Task Force (STF), the Forest Department, and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is examining how these animals arrived in Odisha and whether they were trafficked from outside the state.