5 baby Orangutans found abandoned in odisha forest; how did they get there?
Five baby orangutans, a species native to Southeast Asia, were discovered abandoned in a forest in Odisha, India. The Odisha Forest Department has rescued the animals, and an investigation is underway to determine how they arrived in the region.
Why it matters
The presence of non-native, endangered species in an Indian forest suggests potential illegal wildlife trafficking, raising significant conservation and legal concerns.
A group of young orangutans was found abandoned in a stretch of forest in Odisha, but what made this discovery unusual is that these animals belong nowhere near India's east coast.Orangutans are large, tree-dwelling intelligent apes with reddish-brown fur. They're found only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo, split between Indonesia and Malaysia, and are not native to India.Orangutans are native to Southeast Asia, specifically the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, where they have lived for millions of years. Their ancestors were part of a wider group of ancient great apes that once spread across Asia and Europe. Today, three recognized orangutan species remain: the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan. They are the only great apes naturally found in Asia.
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