Music therapy to soothe ‘distressed’ orangutans found far from their habitat

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One of the baby orangutans, recently rescued from Balasore, playing with soft toys at the Nandankanan Zoo’s quarantine cell. | Photo Credit: PTI

Five baby orangutans rescued from a coastal casuarina forest in Odisha’s Balasore district are receiving music therapy to help them overcome psychological distress, as forest and wildlife officials, in consultation with experts, attempt to ensure their dietary, mental, and physical well-being at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.

Officials are also working on a comprehensive protocol to address the orangutans’ nutritional, psychological and physical needs.

“All five orangutans are doing well. One of the apes had bouts of fever, and our veterinarians are keeping a close watch on their health. Orangutans are not native to India, so these young animals must have experienced psychological distress before being abandoned in the State. Experts have advised music therapy,” said Pradeep Devidas Mirase, Deputy Director of Nandankanan Zoological Park.

He said Indian classical and soft music was being played at the quarantine centre. He stressed that the music might not have an immediate impact, but the soothing effect on mental health is widely accepted. After 10 days, veterinarians will draw blood samples for further tests.

Mr. Mirase said the orangutans had undergone non-invasive health checks and deworming. “Their diet includes mashed boiled apple, and other prepared baby food. This was prepared in consultation with authorities at Mysuru Zoo, which has an orangutan in its enclosure,” he said.

Besides, veterinary experts from the Centre for Wildlife Health, a unit of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), are in constant touch with Nandankanan Zoological Park authorities to monitor the health of the orangutans kept in quarantine.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the specialised agency that investigates cases of wildlife poaching and trafficking, has launched a probe. Teams from the WCCB’s Bhopal and Kolkata centres have begun an investigation.

The Special Task Force of the Odisha Police is also involved in the investigation into the mysterious appearance of orangutans, thousands of kilometres from their natural habitats in Indonesia and Malaysia.

While the investigation is at a preliminary stage, senior Odisha Forest department officials said the traffickers could have used a sea route to smuggle the orangutans before bringing them into India through the North Eastern States, possibly via Myanmar or Bangladesh.

“It appears to have been a well-thought-out plan by the traffickers to use rural road networks along the coast, avoiding national highways where patrolling and checking are regular. CCTV footage is being examined to trace vehicles that approached the spot where the young orangutans were rescued,” a senior forest officer said.

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