Bhubaneswar: Five baby orangutans found in an Odisha forest have triggered a trafficking investigation after the critically endangered animals were discovered far from their natural habitat.
The orangutans were rescued in Balasore district after local people spotted the animals and alerted forest officials. The young apes were given first aid before being transported to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.
The animals are now in quarantine and remain under close monitoring. Forest officials believe the orangutans had been in the area for only 2 or 3 days. The discovery raises questions about how the animals reached Odisha and whether an international wildlife smuggling network was involved.
Orangutans are not native to India, the animals live naturally only in Indonesia and Malaysia. Young orangutans normally remain with their mothers for several years while learning essential survival skills. Females also reproduce slowly and generally give birth only once every 8 years. Finding 5 young animals together without any adult orangutans has therefore intensified concerns about possible trafficking.
Odisha’s forest minister noted that investigators are examining the possibility that the orangutans were trafficked into India and abandoned near a highway. Police, forest officials and a special task force are involved in the inquiry. The Odisha government also reportedly asked the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to investigate the case.
There are 3 living orangutan species: Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli. All 3 are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their populations have fallen sharply because of deforestation, habitat loss and hunting.
International commercial trade in orangutans is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Indian wildlife laws also protect the species. Despite these restrictions, orangutans continue to be trafficked for the exotic pet market and private collectors.
The Odisha case is not the first such discovery in India. In 2022, 2 baby orangutans were found abandoned at a checkpoint near the Assam-Mizoram border. Authorities suspected the animals had entered India through neighbouring Myanmar. The latest rescue has renewed concerns about the illegal movement of endangered wildlife across international borders.
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