Two weeks ago, five baby orangutans found in a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district left wildlife officials with an unusual question: how had animals native to Southeast Asia ended up here?
Now, there is another question.
How are the five babies doing?
The latest health assessments bring some reassurance. All five are stable, accepting food normally and showing normal activity under close veterinary observation.
But their first days in care have also revealed the challenges of looking after five young orangutans separated from their mothers and familiar surroundings.
Three were found to have anaemia, they have been treated for a worm load, and veterinarians have also reported signs of stress.
Latest quarantine views of the rescued orangutans at Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar.
Nandankanan is providing regular updates on them. pic.twitter.com/L0iEwzutpK
— Manas Muduli (@manas_muduli) September 15, 2026
So, how are they doing now?
On 19 September, Delhi Zoo veterinary officer Dr Abhijit Bhawal and Wildlife Institute of India veterinarian Dr Sanath Krishna Muliya examined the five babies at their quarantine facility.
The assessment found all five to be stable and accepting their feed normally. Zoo officials have also reported normal activity and behaviour.
The experts recommended continuing treatment for their worm load, gradually increasing the amount of food they receive and introducing more solid food.
Their milk intake is being increased gradually, while foods such as steamed carrots and beans have been added to their diet.
The update comes after a few health concerns emerged during their first days in care.
Earlier blood tests found anaemia in three of the five babies. One had severe anaemia, while two had mild anaemia. They were given nutritional supplements, including additional iron, as part of their treatment.
One of the babies also developed a recurring fever after the rescue. Veterinarians conducted further examinations and tests while monitoring its condition.
Through this period, all five have remained stable.
Veterinarians from Mysuru Zoo, which has experience in caring for orangutans, were brought in to advise the Odisha authorities. Photograph: (X-@ddnandankanan)
They are babies, separated from their mothers
Keeping them physically healthy is only one part of the challenge.
Veterinarians from Mysuru Zoo, which has experience caring for orangutans, have also been advising the Odisha authorities. Dr Shashidhar and Dr Madan were among the experts who assessed the animals.
Dr Shashidhar said all five were experiencing stress. Veterinary assessments have also linked some of their health concerns to malnutrition and their separation from their mothers.
Orangutan infants remain highly dependent on their mothers for years. They learn how to find food, move through the forest and navigate their surroundings by staying close to them.
The five rescued babies, believed to range from around six months to two years old, were found without any adult orangutan.
At present, they are being kept in a controlled environment where temperature and humidity can be regulated. The number of people coming into contact with them is also being restricted to lower the risk of human-borne infections and cross-contamination.
Their surroundings are being adapted as well.
Ropes, ladders and other forms of enrichment have been introduced to encourage climbing, movement and activity.
So while “stable” is encouraging news, the babies still need careful monitoring as they recover and adjust to an unfamiliar environment without their mothers.
Health assessment report dated 20.09.2026 of Oranguttan babies housed at Nandankanan@CMO_Odisha@ForestDeptt@SecyChief@_anugarg@Bhaskar__Sarma@PCCFWL_Odisha@Prem_CWLWOdisha@pradeepmirasepic.twitter.com/2YZCxkIWJi
— NANDANKANAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK (@ddnandankanan) September 20, 2026
The other unanswered question: Where did they come from?
Even as veterinarians care for the five babies, investigators are still trying to answer the question raised when they were first found.
Orangutans are not native to India. In the wild, they are found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
The discovery of five young orangutans together in an Odisha forest therefore prompted authorities to investigate how they travelled so far from their natural range and whether wildlife trafficking could have been involved.
DNA testing could help establish their species and geographical origin, potentially giving investigators another lead.
However, testing has been delayed while veterinarians prioritise the animals’ health. Since they are young and some were found to be anaemic, only limited quantities of blood can safely be drawn at a time.
The Odisha Forest Department, the Special Task Force of the Odisha Police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau have been investigating how the orangutans reached Balasore.
Officials have questioned people and examined CCTV footage, but no major breakthrough has been announced so far.
Health assessment report dated 20.09.2026 of Oranguttan babies housed at Nandankanan@CMO_Odisha@ForestDeptt@SecyChief@_anugarg@Bhaskar__Sarma@PCCFWL_Odisha@Prem_CWLWOdisha@pradeepmirasepic.twitter.com/2YZCxkIWJi
— NANDANKANAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK (@ddnandankanan) September 20, 2026
For now, the five remain in quarantine
There is still much that remains unanswered about the five babies and the journey that brought them to Odisha.
For now, though, there is some good news.
All five are stable, eating normally and showing normal activity under specialist care. Their diet is being gradually strengthened, their worm load treated and their surroundings adapted to help them move and climb.
Veterinarians will continue to watch their health closely as they recover and adjust.
And while the five babies receive that care, the search for answers about how they ended up thousands of kilometres from their natural home continues.
