Rescued orangutans battle anaemia
Three of the five baby orangutans rescued in Odisha are suffering from anaemia, officials said on Wednesday.
A comprehensive health check-up of the primates, including X-rays and blood tests, was carried out after one of the juvenile orangutans developed fever, they said.
According to a health bulletin issued by the Nandankanan Zoological Park, where the orangutans have been quarantined, in-house haematology analysis found severe anaemia in one of the primates and mild anaemia in two others.
"Supportive supplementation for the said orangutan babies, as advised by the Technical Committee, has already been started," it said.
"X-rays of the chest, abdomen and skull were taken, while blood, serum and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from all five animals. Laboratory tests are underway," it added.
Nandankanan Zoological Park Director Sanath Kumar N said the overall health condition of the orangutans appeared to be stable.
Four of the five animals recorded a body temperature of 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit, while a male orangutan recorded 99 degrees Fahrenheit, an official said.
"This particular male orangutan has shown a slightly higher temperature than the others since its arrival at Nandankanan Zoological Park on the night of September 8," he said.
The blood samples are also being tested for parameters such as haemoglobin and white blood cell count, while stool and urine samples are being examined, he said.
The samples will also be used for DNA testing to establish the origin of the rescued animals, which could aid the ongoing investigation into suspected wildlife smuggling, he added.
A laboratory capable of conducting the DNA test is being identified, the official said, adding that the facility would need to have standard DNA profiles of orangutans for comparison.
"Such laboratories are not very common," he said.
Aditya Acharya, head of the Centre for Wildlife Health (CWH) at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, said the well-being of the animals was the priority.
"Regarding DNA tests, zoo authorities will take the call on where and when to send the samples," he said.
The five orangutans were rescued from a forest in Balasore district on September 8.
According to a dietary chart prepared by experts, the orangutan babies are being fed milk every two hours, besides apple and banana fluids and boiled potatoes at regular intervals.
The Odisha Police's Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), which are jointly investigating the suspected international wildlife smuggling that led to the animals being brought to the state, have made no major breakthrough in the probe so far, officials said.
Bhograi MLA Goutam Buddha Das of the BJD criticised the state government over the pace of the investigation and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to hand over the case to a central agency such as the CBI or NIA.
"Since there is an element of international smuggling involved in the case, a high-level and professional probe is most essential," Das said.
BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal, however, said the Odisha Police STF was capable of resolving the case with the assistance of the WCCB.
"The BJD MLA is politicising the matter out of nothing," Biswal said.
Orangutans are not native to India and are primarily found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, officials said.
