Five young orangutans rescued in Odisha have found an unusual source of comfort at Nandankanan Zoological Park — soft toys that resemble them.
The orangutans, believed to be around a year old, were rescued from a casuarina plantation in the Udayapur-Talsari area of Baleshwar district on Tuesday. They were later brought to Nandankanan and placed in an isolation enclosure for treatment, medical checks and quarantine.
Caretakers noticed that the young animals appeared to need companionship. They were therefore given orangutan-shaped soft toys. The animals soon began hugging, playing with and staying close to the toys for long periods.
The adorable behaviour has also attracted considerable attention on social media.
A special team is monitoring the orangutans’ health and behaviour during their recovery. Meanwhile, forest officials are investigating how the rare animals reached Odisha and whether they were brought into the state through an international route.
Orangutans are naturally found only on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. For now, the five rescued youngsters appear to have found some comfort in their soft, unexpected companions.