Rescued baby orangutans in Odisha get music therapy as probe widens

Five baby orangutans rescued from a coastal casuarina forest in Odisha's Balasore district are being given music therapy at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they are held in quarantine, to help them recover from psychological distress.

Pradeep Devidas Mirase, Deputy Director of the zoo, said the animals were in good health overall, though one had episodes of fever and was under close veterinary observation. Since orangutans are not native to India, the young apes are likely to have suffered mental stress before being abandoned in the State, he said, adding that experts had recommended music therapy. Indian classical and soft music is being played at the quarantine centre. Mr. Mirase noted that while the effect may not be immediate, the calming influence of music on mental health is widely recognised.

Blood samples will be drawn after ten days for further tests. The orangutans have already undergone non-invasive health checks and deworming. Their diet, which includes mashed boiled apple and other prepared baby food, was drawn up in consultation with authorities at Mysuru Zoo, which houses an orangutan. Veterinary experts from the Centre for Wildlife Health, a unit of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, are in regular contact with the zoo to monitor the animals.

Officials are also preparing a comprehensive protocol covering the nutritional, psychological and physical needs of the five apes.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has opened a probe, with teams from its Bhopal and Kolkata centres beginning investigations. The Special Task Force of the Odisha Police is also looking into how the orangutans, whose natural habitats lie in Indonesia and Malaysia, surfaced thousands of kilometres away.

Investigators are still at a preliminary stage. Senior Forest department officials suspect traffickers may have used a sea route and then brought the animals into India through the North Eastern States, possibly via Myanmar or Bangladesh. One senior officer said the plan appeared carefully thought out, with rural coastal roads used to avoid national highways where patrolling and checks are routine. CCTV footage is being examined to trace vehicles that approached the spot where the young orangutans were rescued.