''Ramu'' finds a home in Nandankanan Zoo

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (UNI) After five years of long captivity inside a police station and then a week's stay in a sanctuary, Ramu, finally found his new home in the famous Nandankanan Zoo.

The seven-year-old monkey was rescued by wildlife officials from Remuna police station where he was kept in a cage for five years in clear violation of Wildlife Protection Act and then taken to Kuldiha sanctuary on October 18 last to be released in the wild.

But experts suggested shifting Ramu to a more safer place as they apprehended that the animal might die if released into the wild.

For five long years the monkey was in captivity and it would be difficult on the part of the animal to cope with the surroundings in the wild, they remarked.

Finding no options, the wildlife officials decided to shift him to the Nandankanan Zoo. He was brought from the Kuldiha sanctuary in a specially made cage and handed over to the Zoo authorities yesterday.

Ramu was recently in the news after the media highlighted his plight in the cage inside the police station for five years. The state government soon ordered an inquiry into the incident and he was finally rescued from the cage inside the Remuna police station in Balasore district.

A Balasore report said a detailed health checkup was conducted on Ramu today and a squad of forest personnel took the monkey under escort as per the direction of the state Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.

Nandankanan Zoo Director Ajit Kumar Pattnaik said Ramu was kept in the quarantine where the Zoo doctor examined him and carried out necessary tests as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority.

The monkey, he said, would be kept in the quarantine for some more days before being released to a big enclosure presently lying vacant. Subsequently it would be decided whether the monkey would be allowed to stay inside the Nandankanan or released into any sanctuary, the Zoo director said.

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