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

One of the baby orangutans, recently rescued from Balasore, plays with stuffed toys in 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, in consultation with experts, works to ensure their dietary, mental and physical well-being at the Nandakanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.

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

“All the five orangutans are doing well. One of the apes had bouts of fever and our vets are closely monitoring their health. Orangutans are not native to India, so these young animals must have experienced psychological problems before being abandoned in the state. Experts recommended music therapy,” said Pradeep Devidas Mirase, deputy director of the Nandankanan Zoological Park.

He said Indian classical and soft music was playing in the quarantine centre. He emphasized that music may not have an immediate impact, but the calming effect on mental health is widely accepted. After 10 days, the veterinarians will take blood samples for further examination.

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

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

Special Task Force

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a specialized agency that investigates cases of poaching and wildlife trafficking, has launched an investigation. Teams from WCCB centers in Bhopal and Kolkata have started investigations.

A special task force of Odisha police is also involved in the investigation of the mysterious appearance of orangutans, thousands of kilometers from their natural habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia.

While the investigation is at a preliminary stage, senior Odisha forest department officials said traffickers may have used the sea route to smuggle the orangutans before bringing them to India through the northeastern states, possibly via Myanmar or Bangladesh.

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

Published – 11 September 2026 13:30 IST