Orangutans’ blood collected for DNA testing

Bhubaneswar: X-rays were conducted, and blood samples were collected from the five rescued baby orangutans quarantined at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday to assess their individual health and facilitate DNA testing, officials said. The health check-up was conducted a second time within 24 hours after one of the primates developed fever.

“The overall health condition of the orangutans seems to be stable. X-rays and blood samples of the animals were taken to ascertain their individual health condition,” Nandankanan Zoological Park Director Sanath Kumar N told reporters. The blood samples will also be used for DNA testing, a senior Forest Department official said, adding that a laboratory capable of conducting the test is being identified.

“An appropriate laboratory needs to have the standard DNA sample profile of orangutans for comparison. Such laboratories are not very common,” he said. The samples are also being tested for blood parameters such as haemoglobin and white blood cell count. Stool and urine samples of the animals are also being examined, he added.

“The priority is the well-being of the babies. Regarding DNA tests, zoo authorities will take the call on where and when to send the samples,” said Aditya Acharya, head of the Centre for Wildlife Health (CWH) at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology. The DNA examination is considered important to establish the origin of the rescued animals, which could aid the ongoing investigation, officials said.

Orangutans are not native to India and are primarily found in the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra. The five juvenile orangutans were rescued from a forest in Baleshwar district on September 8. One of the primates developed a high body temperature on Sunday and was subsequently put on medication.

On Tuesday, members of a technical committee formed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Odisha, visited the quarantine area and examined all five orangutans. Following the examination, the zoo said the body temperatures of the five animals were between 98 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. “All five are apparently stable, with normal feed acceptance and improved activity,” an official said.

The rescued orangutans are to remain in quarantine for 30 days. According to a dietary chart prepared by experts, the animals are being fed milk every two hours, along with apple and banana fluids and boiled potatoes at regular intervals.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Police’s Special Task Force and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau have launched a joint investigation into suspected international wildlife smuggling. There has been no major breakthrough in the probe so far, officials said.

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