Five Baby Orangutans Rescued in Odisha Amid Smuggling Investigation
Five baby orangutans were discovered in a forest in Odisha, India, leading to a criminal investigation into their suspected smuggling from Southeast Asia. The animals, critically endangered, are not native to India and raised concerns among local authorities.
Sources
Indian forest officials rescued five baby orangutans in Odisha, thousands of kilometers from their native habitat, and suspect they were smuggled into the country from Southeast Asia. Local authorities are investigating the potential involvement of an international smuggling racket, as only about 104,000 orangutans remain in the wild, down from over 230,000 a century ago. The rescued orangutans, which include three males and two females, were found in good health and are now in quarantine at Nandan Kanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar.
Five baby orangutans were discovered in a forest in Odisha, India, prompting an investigation into their origins as they are not native to India and are critically endangered species found only in Indonesia and Malaysia. Local residents alerted forest officials after spotting the young apes on the forest floor, and they were rescued and taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park for monitoring. The investigation includes police and a special task force, with concerns raised about potential international trafficking networks, especially given that the animals, estimated to be between one and two years old, were found without any adult orangutans nearby.