Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia has announced that the five baby orangutans rescued from Baleshwar district will remain at Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The minister visited the zoo on Wednesday to inspect the quarantine and care facilities arranged for the animals, aged between one and two years. He expressed satisfaction with the 24‑hour monitoring, health checks, special milk diet, and rotation‑based care teams deployed for their well-being.
“These five orangutans — three males and two females — will stay at Nandankanan. The department is taking all measures for their health and safety,” Singhkhuntia said.
He noted that orangutans are not native to India, being found mainly in the rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, and Sumatra. Each animal carries an estimated international market value of Rs 20–25 lakh, underscoring suspicions of wildlife trafficking. The state government has requested the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to investigate.
Nandankanan authorities are consulting the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to ensure protocol‑based care. A decision on whether the orangutans will be displayed to the public will be taken only after CZA approval.
The minister directed staff to maintain continuous special care and confirmed that CCTV footage from airports, railway stations, and ports is being examined to trace how the animals reached Balasore forests. Senior officials, including PCCF (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha and Nandankanan Director Dr Manoj V. Nair, accompanied the inspection.
