Five orangutans rescued from the Balasore wildlife division have been moved to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar and are now kept in quarantine under close medical observation.
The five orangutans were rescued from a forest area in Odisha’s Balasore district on 9 September after they were found in the area. Orangutans are not native to India and are found naturally in parts of Southeast Asia. Forest officials took charge of the rescue operation and arranged for the animals to be taken back to Nandankanan for special treatment.
The rescued animals are being monitored and looked after by veterinary staff at Nandankanan Zoo, the zoo said. They are in a CCTV-monitored quarantine facility to monitor the health and behaviour of animals and prevent any disease spreading, officials said.
The five orangutans are believed to be very young. Nandankanan officials said two of the animals are particularly young and that all five are under veterinary care. Zoo staff are providing proper food and monitoring their physical condition as they adjust to their new surroundings.
The rescue also triggered a wider investigation into how the animals reached Odisha. Orangutans are not native to India, so wildlife authorities are investigating the reasons for their presence in the Balasore forest. Odisha Police Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are also investigating, and it’s possible that the animals were brought into the country illegally.
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Five rescued orangutans have been kept at Nandankanan Zoo in quarantine. Authorities are closely monitoring their health and administering necessary treatment.
— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2026
The five orangutans were rescued on 8th September from the Balasore wildlife division… pic.twitter.com/fOl3XYPyQs
The discovery may have serious wildlife conservation implications. Orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly the Borneo and Sumatra islands, and for them to show up thousands of kilometres away in an Odisha forest is extremely unusual. So officials are now trying to trace the origin of the animals and why they were abandoned in the woods.
The case is particularly significant because the animals were found together in a forest landscape, not in a recognised captive facility. The trafficking links are under investigation, but the exact nature of the situation is still under investigation, and no definitive conclusion has been drawn so far.
As of now, the priority is the welfare of the five rescued orangutans. Nandankanan’s veterinary and animal-care teams are monitoring them 24/7 and giving them food and treatment as needed, and keeping an eye on them during quarantine.
The unusual rescue has attracted considerable attention across Odisha, not only because of the rare nature of the animals but also because there is still the question of how five young orangutans ended up in Balasore forest.
Authorities will be investigating possible trafficking routes and getting information on the animals’ origin while they are staying at Nandankanan, where they can be safe and secure.
So all of this has made us see once again the need to watch out for illegal wildlife trade and exotic animals beyond their natural habitats.
