Bhubaneswar: Two of the five orangutans rescued from a forested area in Baleshwar district are undergoing treatment at Nandankanan Zoological Park, while the other three are in stable condition, an official said Thursday.
Nandankanan Deputy Director Pradeep Mirase said one orangutan developed fever and is responding to treatment. Another young animal was diagnosed with a worm infection after examination of its stool and has been given medication.
The enclosure housing the animals is being disinfected regularly as a precaution against the spread of infection, he said.
The zoo authorities will also conduct DNA tests on all five orangutans on the advice of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). Blood samples will be collected about 10 days after the animals make a full recovery, Mirase said.
The orangutans were rescued from a forested area in Baleshwar district on September 8. Their presence in Odisha has raised questions over their origin as the species is not native to India.
Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia has said efforts will be made to keep all five animals at Nandankanan.
Meanwhile, a joint probe by the Special Task Force (STF), Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is underway to determine where the orangutans came from, who brought them to Odisha and how they reached the state.
Investigators suspect the animals may have been brought into Odisha from outside, given that orangutans are not native to the state or the country.
