Orangutans in Odisha: How did apes not native to India end up in Balasore forest
Five baby orangutans were discovered in a forest in Odisha, India, leading authorities to suspect an international wildlife trafficking operation. Officials believe the animals were abandoned by traffickers who feared arrest, and a multi-agency investigation is currently underway.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing threat of illegal wildlife trade and the vulnerability of endangered species to international trafficking networks.
BHUBANESWAR: They were merrily swinging from branches in a dense casuarina forest, but the five baby orangutans had no business being there.Their bizarre appearance in Odisha's Balasore forest on Tuesday has left wildlife officials baffled and triggered a probe into suspected international wildlife trafficking. Authorities suspect the critically endangered apes may have been abandoned by traffickers fearing arrest.The five orangutans — two females and three males — were spotted by locals dangling from tree branches in the Bhogarai forest area, around 40km from the Balasore-Kolkata stretch of NH-16. Since orangutans are neither native to India nor found in the wild in the country, officials suspect they may have reached Odisha through an international trafficking network.The animals are suspected to have been abandoned near Badipada in Chandaneswar by traffickers fearing arrest.
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