In an unexpected boon for wildlife conservation, Nandankanan Zoological Park has become the new home for five rescued infant orangutans.
The arrival of these baby apes—three males and two females—has been likened to finding an unexpected treasure, significantly elevating the park’s status on the wildlife conservation map.
Prior to 2019, India’s only known captive orangutan was “Bini,” a beloved resident of Nandankanan who carved her name into the country’s wildlife history. While zoo authorities had been continuously working to introduce new species, acquiring five young orangutans simultaneously—rescued from the clutches of illegal wildlife smugglers—is a monumental achievement.
Raising these highly intelligent, expressive primates poses a massive challenge for the zoo’s veterinary and care teams. Keepers Sunil, Harekrushna, and Laxman have been appointed as their primary caregivers, tasked with guiding the young apes through their crucial early developmental stages. To keep the infants stimulated, the zoo has provided them with an array of toys and teddy bears. While four of the babies are playfully adjusting to their new environment, authorities note that one infant is currently unwell and receiving close medical attention.
The veterinary team has established a strict, specialized diet to mimic the nutrition they would receive in the wild and ensure their healthy growth. The infants are currently being fed a carefully monitored mixture of boiled apple juice, bananas, milk, and specialized baby formulas including Similac and Lactogen. Researchers and zoo officials are optimistic that the favorable environment at Nandankanan will allow these young orangutans to thrive and eventually contribute to the global population of this highly endangered species.
The Urgent Need for Orangutan Conservation
The rescue highlights the ongoing global crisis facing great apes. Orangutans, whose evolutionary lineage diverged from other hominids (like gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans) approximately 15.7 to 19.3 million years ago, are currently facing severe population declines in the wild.
According to recent conservation data, the Bornean orangutan population experienced a devastating drop of nearly 148,500 individuals between 1999 and 2015, leaving an estimated 104,700 in the wild as of 2016. Sumatran orangutans hovered around 14,613 during the same period. The most critical, however, is the Tapanuli orangutan, with fewer than 800 individuals remaining, making it one of the most endangered great apes on the planet.
Their recovery is severely hindered by an incredibly slow reproductive cycle—the longest of any land mammal. Females typically reach sexual maturity between 12 to 15 years of age, while males mature between 15 to 20 years. Following an 8 to 8.5-month gestation period, a female will give birth to a single infant weighing just 1.5 to 2.3 kilograms (twins are extraordinarily rare). Because infants remain dependent on their mothers for an extended period, female orangutans only give birth every 7 to 9 years, successfully raising a maximum of 4 to 5 offspring in their entire lifetime.
When protected in captivity, orangutans can live remarkably long lives. Notable historical records include Bella (a Sumatran orangutan in Germany who lived to 63), Inji (who lived to 61 at the Oregon Zoo), and Puan (recognized by Guinness World Records, who lived to 62 at the Perth Zoo). With dedicated care, Nandankanan’s five new arrivals have the potential to live long, secure lives as ambassadors for their imperiled wild counterparts.
