Rescued Baby Orangutan at Nandankanan Develops Fever; Intensive Veterinary Care Underway

 BHUBANESWAR: A rescued baby orangutan undergoing rehabilitation at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha has developed a fever, prompting a high-alert response from the facility's dedicated veterinary and medical teams, who are closely monitoring the infant primate's vital signs and administering intensive supportive care to stabilize its temperature. The sick animal is receiving specialized medical attention tailored to its fragile condition following its rescue and arrival at the facility, with caretakers also adjusting the feeding protocol to address digestive distress and painful gas accumulation by providing specialized nourishment once every three hours, a frequent and controlled schedule designed to ensure the young animal receives steady nutrition without overloading its sensitive digestive system.

Park authorities have simultaneously stepped up enclosure safety and hygiene measures, with wire nets and meshes around the quarantine and shelter areas being tightly adjusted and secured to block mosquitoes and other vectors, safeguarding the recovering primate from potential secondary infections or mosquito-borne illnesses. The infant is one of five juvenile orangutans—a critically endangered species native exclusively to Sumatra and Borneo—rescued earlier this month from a coastal casuarina plantation in Balasore district, in what forest officials suspect was a botched transoceanic exotic pet trafficking operation. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has since launched a probe into the smuggling network, while the remaining orangutans continue to be monitored under extended quarantine and dedicated veterinary supervision at the park.

Report: Amal K Mathew