Five baby orangutans found in an Odisha forest are now at Nandankanan Zoo as investigators examine possible international wildlife trafficking.
BHUBANESWAR: Five baby orangutans found unexpectedly in an Odisha forest have triggered a wildlife trafficking investigation after the animals appeared thousands of kilometres from their natural habitat. The young apes were discovered near Badapai village in Balasore district, leaving wildlife officials with a major question: how did they get there?
The animals were spotted in the Ranakatha Protected Reserve Forest in the Bhograi area on September 8. Orangutans do not occur naturally in India and are native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
The five animals, two females and three males, are believed to be less than a year old. Their young age has added urgency to efforts to determine their origin and ensure they receive appropriate care.
Also read: Dubai’s hidden mountain reserve protects rare wildlife found nowhere else
Where are the orangutans now?
Forest officials rescued the five baby orangutans before transferring them to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.
The animals are being kept in a temperature-controlled quarantine facility under round-the-clock observation. Zoo staff have introduced a specialised diet and are providing fruit, toys and other enrichment while veterinary teams monitor their condition.
Four were initially reported to be healthy, while all five have been receiving medical attention.
Their discovery attracted large crowds after word spread among local residents, prompting forest officials to secure the animals and move them away from the area.
Also read: Abu Dhabi brings in new rules to protect wildlife and nature
How did orangutans reach Odisha?
That remains the central mystery.
Natural migration is considered highly unlikely because there is no wildlife corridor connecting Odisha with the Southeast Asian habitats where orangutans live.
The Odisha Police Special Task Force and India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau have joined the investigation. Authorities are examining whether an international wildlife trafficking network could have transported the animals before abandoning them in the forest.
Investigators are reportedly examining CCTV footage, including information surrounding a vehicle seen near the area, as they attempt to reconstruct how the animals arrived.
Officials have not yet established that trafficking definitely occurred, meaning the investigation remains open.
The case is particularly serious because orangutans are critically endangered. Their international commercial trade is tightly restricted, and trafficking poses an additional threat to populations already under pressure from habitat destruction.
For now, attention remains divided between caring for the animals and discovering where they came from.
Impact to expect
Scrutiny. The unusual discovery could intensify investigations into wildlife trafficking routes connecting Southeast Asia with India and strengthen monitoring of the illegal exotic animal trade.
