Bhubaneswar: In a rare case of sustained veterinary intervention and neonatal care, Nandankanan Zoological Park here has successfully hand-reared a chimpanzee after the infant was abandoned by its mother, just 20 days after birth.The infant, named Suraj by caregivers, was born on Jan 30, 2025, to a chimpanzee pair Durga and Jullu. Zoo officials said Durga, a first-time mother, initially showed normal maternal behavior and nursed the newborn during the first few weeks. However, she later began neglecting the infant, feeding him irregularly and frequently leaving him unattended.“Veterinary staff stepped in for round-the-clock care, feeding the infant bottled human milk formula and closely monitoring its growth. Now over 14 months old, Suraj has survived and developed well under expert supervision. It is a classic case of maternal abandonment followed by successful intervention and sustained nurturing by the zoo,” said deputy director Abhay Dalei.Following veterinary assessment and welfare review, Suraj was taken away from his mother on Feb 20, 2025. It was then shifted to the zoo’s dedicated nursery for hand-rearing animal babies, zoo officials said.“Our nursery is equipped with advanced neonatal care, including air-conditioned cells and intensive care support. It is managed round the clock by trained animal keepers working in rotational shifts under veterinary supervision,” Dalei said.At present, a secure padded bed has been installed with raised edges to ensure the chimpanzee’s safety and thermal comfort. “After it was separated from the mother, feeding was kept intensive during the first 15 days to mimic natural nursing patterns. As it looked stabilised, the quantity of feed was gradually increased and the interval between feeds reduced in line with his growth and health condition,” a zoo official said.Chimpanzee Suraj is in good health and has shown steady physical development under expert supervision.Nandankanan has a dedicated system for neonatal care of vulnerable wild animals. “Suraj’s survival reflects the constant efforts of our veterinary team and animal keepers,” Dalei said.The zoo currently houses eight chimpanzees, including five females, with Suraj now part of the group. Officials said the successful rearing also draws on the zoo’s earlier experience of raising another male chimpanzee, Kartika, in 2009.