Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Odisha Zoo Uses Classical Music to Calm Rescued Orangutans
Five baby orangutans were found in a forest in Balasore, Odisha.
They were taken to a zoo because they were frightened and had no mother with them.
Zoo workers are playing gentle classical music to help them feel calmer.
They are also giving the animals swings, soft toys, slings, fruit, and baby formula.
Four of the orangutans are less than one year old.
Officials delayed blood tests for 10 days because the babies were too stressed.
Police and wildlife agencies are investigating whether smugglers brought them to India.
A wildlife activist says specialists from places such as Thailand or Sumatra should help decide how to care for them.
Five baby orangutans rescued in Balasore were moved to quarantine at Nandankanan Zoological Park.
Zoo officials are playing classical and instrumental music and providing swings, soft toys, slings, and specialized feeding to reduce stress.
Blood collection for DNA profiling and origin testing was delayed by 10 days because the animals had not acclimatized.
Four orangutans are younger than one year and all five were found without their mother.
Authorities suspect human involvement or wildlife smuggling and are investigating possible interstate and international trafficking links.
- Who
- Five rescued baby orangutans, Nandankanan Zoological Park officials, Odisha authorities, wildlife agencies, and activist Biswajit Mohanty.
- What
- The orangutans were rescued, placed in quarantine, given enrichment and feeding support, and investigated for their origin and possible trafficking.
- When
- They were found on a Tuesday morning; blood collection planned for Thursday was postponed by 10 days, and quarantine may last about four weeks.
- Where
- They were found near the edge of a forest in Balasore district, Odisha, and taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park.
- Why
- They were found without their mother, showed signs of stress, and are not native to India, prompting concerns about illegal transportation.
Zoo’s Immediate Care Approach
Activist’s Specialist-Care Approach
How to reduce stress
Zoo’s Immediate Care Approach
Zoo officials say research, biologist consultations, classical music, toys, swings, slings, and careful feeding are helping the orangutans become calmer and more active.
Activist’s Specialist-Care Approach
Biswajit Mohanty says authorities should consult specialist rescue and care centers in Thailand or Sumatra because India lacks sufficient orangutan-care expertise.
Current priority
Zoo’s Immediate Care Approach
Nandankanan officials are focusing on health and acclimatization before collecting blood samples or deciding the animals’ long-term destination.
Activist’s Specialist-Care Approach
Mohanty says the animals’ trauma may differ depending on whether they came from the wild or an illegal breeding operation, making expert assessment essential.
Long-term destination
Zoo’s Immediate Care Approach
Zoo officials say future instructions will come from the administration and have not announced where the orangutans will be taken.
Activist’s Specialist-Care Approach
Mohanty says repatriation to Borneo, Sumatra, or Indonesia could eventually be considered, while emphasizing that it is a later decision.
- Animals rescued
- Five baby orangutans
- Rescue location
- Near a forest in Balasore district, Odisha
- Current location
- Quarantine area at Nandankanan Zoological Park
- Stress-relief measures
- Classical and instrumental music, swings, slings, and soft toys
- Feeding
- One orangutan feeds itself; four receive boiled apples, bananas, and Similac low-lactose formula
- Testing delay
- Blood collection for DNA profiling and other requirements postponed by 10 days
- Investigation
- Authorities are examining possible interstate and international wildlife-smuggling links
