55 CCTV cameras checked, black SUV key to Odisha orangutan probe
Odisha police and wildlife authorities are investigating the illegal release of five baby orangutans in a local forest. Investigators are searching for a black SUV captured on CCTV, suspecting an international wildlife trafficking ring.
Why it matters
Highlights the growing threat of international wildlife trafficking and the challenges of protecting non-native endangered species in local ecosystems.
Odisha Police's STF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) intensified their probe into the mystery surrounding the rescue of five baby orangutans from a forest in Balasore district and launched a search for a black SUV reportedly seen in the area.
Investigators suspect an international wildlife trafficking network could be behind the presence of the animals in the State, officials said.
The forest department rescued the orangutans from Bichitrapur forest under Bhograi block in the morning of September 8.
Investigators are now focusing on a black SUV reportedly seen near Badapahi village in the area on the night of September 7.
The STF has so far examined footage from 55 CCTV cameras installed in Bhograi and nearby Digha in West Bengal.
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