Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has constituted a five-member technical committee to oversee the care and welfare of five baby orangutans rescued from Balasore district, officials said on Sunday.

The orangutans are currently being housed at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. The committee will assess their welfare and upkeep and provide technical inputs to ensure proper care, according to a government order.

The director of Nandankanan Biological Park will serve as the member-convener. The panel also includes a veterinary officer from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru, a representative of the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun and the project coordinator of the Centre for Wildlife Health at OUAT, Bhubaneswar.

The committee can also consult or co-opt experts and organisations of national and international repute whenever required.

Round-the-clock care for rescued orangutans

Chief Wildlife Warden and PCCF (Wildlife) PK Jha said the immediate priority was to provide the five animals, which are not native to India, with the best possible care at Nandankanan’s hand-rearing centre.

“Three caretakers and doctors are engaged round the clock to monitor the health condition of the babies,” he said.

The animals are gradually becoming familiar with their caretakers and are readily accepting food, said Aditya Acharya, head of OUAT’s Wildlife Treatment Centre.

“The caretakers are like new mothers to the baby orangutans,” Acharya said.

He said the animals’ ease in interacting with the caretakers indicated that they may have previously been in contact with humans and received care.

Milk every two hours, soft toys and music

A caretaker at Nandankanan’s quarantine unit said the baby orangutans are being fed milk every two hours. Apple and banana fluids and boiled potatoes are also being given at regular intervals according to a dietary chart prepared by experts.

To keep the animals stress-free, officials have provided them with soft toys and swings and play music for them.

One of the five orangutans has recovered from fever, while two others have recovered from cold, officials said. The collection of blood samples for DNA testing has been postponed by around 10 days.
Also read | A safe beginning: Five rescued baby orangutans welcomed at Nandankanan Zoo

Rescued from Balasore forest

The five baby orangutans were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Bhograi block of Balasore district on September 8.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) have intensified their investigation into suspected international wildlife smuggling linked to the case.

(With PTI inputs)