The New Indian Express ·
Environment
Five rescued primate infants under special care at Nandankanan
BHUBANESWAR: The five orangutan infants have found a new carefully guarded home at Nandankanan Zoological Park, with a dedicated team working round-the-clock to keep the vulnerable babies healthy and help them adjust to life without their mother.
Brought to the zoo on Tuesday night, the infants have been kept in quarantine at the Centre for Rearing of Animal Babies in the zoo and are receiving intensive care, with three keepers assigned exclusively to them.
The keepers are working in three shifts and have been instructed not to handle any other animals to minimise the risk of infection. Masks, gloves and strict hand-hygiene protocols are being followed before every interaction with the baby apes.
The quarantine and care areas are also being maintained under stringent sanitation and biosecurity measures. The infants are being fed milk every two hours in consultation with experts from Mysuru Zoo. A dedicated veterinary expert has been engaged to monitor their health round-the-clock, while zoo staff are keeping a close watch on their behaviour and acclimatisation.
At present, the baby orangutans are being kept in an air-conditioned enclosure. Zoo deputy director Pradeep Mirase said the authorities were hopeful that the infants would gradually adapt to the new environment.
“Orangutans have many behavioural similarities with humans and hand-rearing them will not be difficult. They are also staying together as a group, which should help them acclimatise to human care,” Mirase said.
Given that orangutans typically remain with their mothers for several years, but in this case, these infants have been separated from their mother, the zoo is also taking steps to keep them engaged and encourage socialisation.
Officials said toys have been provided for them to play with, while being together as a group is expected to provide them some comfort and familiarity.
The arrival of the five orangutan infants, however, has brought an unusual challenge for Nandankanan. Sources said the zoo has not handled an orangutan since 2019, when Bini, its only female orangutan, died at the age of 41. Bini had been a major attraction for visitors.
However, for now, though zoo officials are keeping their focus on the five infants, they said their immediate priority is ensuring their safety, feeding them on time and giving them the intensive care they need to settle into their new surroundings.
Zoo officials said they will also approach the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for permission to retain the orangutans at Nandankanan at a later stage.
