Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Rescued Orangutan Babies Await Larger Nandankanan Enclosure After Quarantine
Five baby orangutans were rescued from a forest in Odisha.
They were taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park for care.
The zoo is keeping them in a temperature-controlled place while they get used to their new surroundings.
Their health is improving.
They will stay in quarantine for about one to one-and-a-half months.
After that, they may move to a larger enclosure.
Officials may create a special enclosure because there are five orangutans.
The babies have been playful, sometimes moody, and often cling to one another.
Investigators are also trying to learn how they reached Balasore and whether wildlife traffickers were involved.
Five orangutan babies rescued from Bichitrapur forest on September 8 are recovering at Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The animals remain in a temperature-controlled quarantine facility while acclimatising to local conditions.
Their health is improving, but they will move to a larger enclosure only after recovery and completion of quarantine.
Quarantine is expected to last one to one-and-a-half months, with a special enclosure possible for the group.
A joint Odisha Police Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau probe is examining how they reached Balasore and possible international trafficking links.
- Who
- Five rescued orangutan babies, Odisha forest officials, Prem Kumar Jha, and investigators from the Odisha Police Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
- What
- The orangutan babies are recovering in quarantine and are expected to move to a larger enclosure after their health improves and quarantine ends.
- When
- They were rescued on September 8; a September 27 report said quarantine was expected to last one to one-and-a-half months.
- Where
- They were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Odisha’s Balasore district and taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.
- Why
- They are being cared for and acclimatised after rescue, while investigators examine how they reached Balasore and possible wildlife trafficking involvement.
- Animals rescued
- Five orangutan babies
- Rescue date
- September 8
- Rescue location
- Bichitrapur forest, Balasore district, Odisha
- Current location
- Nandankanan Zoological Park
- Quarantine period
- Expected to last one to one-and-a-half months
- Future housing
- A larger enclosure, potentially a special enclosure
- Investigation
- The Odisha Police Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are investigating possible international wildlife trafficking involvement
