The 5 Orangutan cubs were shifted to the zoo, where they have been quarantined in a temperature-controlled room and are gradually getting acclimatised with the local environment.Odisha is awaiting permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to keep five rescued orangutan cubs at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, even as authorities investigate how the animals reached Balasore.State Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said Friday that the Odisha government had written to the CZA two days ago seeking permission to retain the five orangutans at Nandankanan. The cubs were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Balasore district on September 8.After their rescue, the orangutans were shifted to Nandankanan, where they have been quarantined in a temperature-controlled room and are gradually being acclimatised to the local environment, an official said.The animals are being provided food and oral rehydration solutions and are being monitored closely. Zoo authorities said the cubs have displayed a range of behaviours, including playful activity, brief mood swings and anxious attempts to cling to one another.The minister said orangutans, which are primarily found in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia, could adapt to Odisha’s climate.According to officials, orangutans are not entirely new to the state and have survived in Odisha’s coastal climate before.Nandankanan already has a dedicated enclosure for orangutans, but it has remained empty since the death of a 41-year-old female orangutan in 2019. The animal had been brought from a zoo in Pune in 2003.Story continues below this adSinghkhuntia said it would be “very good news” for animal lovers if the CZA allowed Nandankanan to retain the five orangutans, adding that their presence could also boost tourist footfall.Meanwhile, there have been reports that Indonesia has approached the Indian government seeking repatriation of the rescued orangutans.A joint investigation by the Odisha Police’s Special Task Force and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is underway to determine how the animals reached Balasore. Officials are also probing the possible involvement of an international wildlife trafficking network.