Belonging to a critically-endangered specie, an orangutan brought to Gorewada Rescue Centre (GRC) has been sent to Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), Jamnagar, Gujarat, recently. The ape was residing at the facility since it was rescued in November last year. It is for the first time when the GRC treated and kept this type of critically-endangered ape at its facility. The orangutan which is a native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia was rescued along with many species of reptiles and animals from a three-bedroom flat at Palava City at Dombivali in Thane in November. Later, it was shifted to the GRC.

 

“The ape was in good health and kept at the GRC in a look a like natural habitat in an enclosure. During this period, we got experience to handle such critically-endangered species which is not a native to India,” said Shatnik Bhagwat, Director, Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park to ‘The Hitavada’. “After keeping the orangutan at the GRC for months, Jamnagar-based rescue centre accepted to keep this ape in their facility. A team from Jamnagar came to Gorewada and took it in their specially-made vehicle to Gujarat,” said Bhagwat.

 

In November last year, forest team from Thane raid a flat in Dombivali where it found the orangutan and reptiles. The Forest Department is still investigating the matter that how this ape which is from South Asian country reached Maharashtra? During the raid, forest team also rescued six ball pythons found in north and central Africa, one golden child reticulated python, which is amongst the largest pythons globally, an iguana, six three-striped mud turtles, one Indian star turtle, a threatened species, and an orangutan.