Five baby orangutans found in Odisha forest, probe into possible trafficking

Five young orangutans were discovered in a forest near a highway in Balasore district of Odisha and rescued by local forest officials before being taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for quarantine and monitoring, authorities said.

Locals spotted the animals sitting on the forest floor and alerted officials early on Tuesday; they received first aid and were transported to the zoo, where they remain under observation, the Balasore District Forest Officer Pratik Prakash Indalkar told the BBC.

Forest officials said the apes could not have reached Odisha naturally and are investigating whether they were trafficked and abandoned near the West Bengal border. The animals were found in Ranakata, a proposed reserve forest in Bhogarai block, an area dominated by casuarina trees and close to a state highway.

Investigators from the state wildlife department have involved police, forest personnel and a special task force, and the Odisha government has asked India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to probe the case, officials said.

Authorities believe the orangutans had been in the area for only two or three days. A search of the surrounding forest turned up no adults or other clues about how the animals arrived, Indalkar added.

Officials described the rescued animals as infants, though some local reports indicated they may be between one and two years old. Wildlife expert Biswajit Mohanty noted that their young age is particularly concerning because orangutan infants normally stay with their mothers for several years.

The orangutan species are native to Indonesia and Malaysia and are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. International commercial trade in orangutans is prohibited under CITES and they are protected under Indian wildlife laws, but trafficking for exotic pet trade and private collectors has occurred, officials said.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The discovery of five young orangutans together, far from their native range and without adult animals nearby, has prompted an investigation into possible international smuggling and abandonment, according to forest officials and the state government’s request for assistance from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Officials reported the animals were found near a state highway in a non-dense casuarina area and were taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park for quarantine and monitoring.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Five infant orangutans were found in Ranakata forest, Bhogarai block, Balasore district, Odisha.
• They were rescued early on Tuesday, given first aid and moved to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for quarantine.
• Authorities suspect trafficking and have involved police, forest officials, a special task force and India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in the probe.