A day after five baby orangutans were rescued from a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district, the state police’s Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) have launched a joint investigation into their mysterious arrival, amid suspicions that an international wildlife smuggling network may be involved.
The five orangutans have been brought to the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they are being cared for by wildlife officials at a specialised facility equipped to look after rescued and orphaned young animals.
The discovery has raised serious questions as orangutans are not native to India. The animals were rescued from a casuarina forest in the Bichitrapur area of Bhograi block in Balasore district on Tuesday after villagers spotted them clinging to trees and alerted the forest department.
Authorities are now trying to establish how the animals reached Odisha, who brought them to the forest and whether they were transported as part of an illegal wildlife trade operation.
CCTV Footage Of Black SUV Raises Suspicion
A black Mahindra Thar spotted near the forest has emerged as a potential lead in the investigation, NDTV reported.
Locals reportedly saw the black SUV in the vicinity of the forest on the night before the orangutans were discovered.
CCTV footage shows the vehicle passing through the area at around 11:25 pm and returning approximately 15 minutes later. Investigators are examining the footage to determine whether the vehicle had any connection with the arrival of the orangutans.
Authorities will verify the vehicle's identity and movements before drawing any conclusions.
STF Team Begins Investigation
A four-member Special Task Force team has been assigned to investigate the mysterious appearance of the animals.
Odisha STF Inspector General Himansu Lal said a team led by an SP-rank officer had already left for Balasore and begun the investigation.
The STF team contacted the Balasore district SP and DFO and collected details related to the rescue of the rare animals from the forest.
Forest officials and local police have also been conducting door-to-door enquiries in the area to gather information about the incident and identify anyone who may have witnessed the movement of the animals or vehicles in the area.
According to PTI, villagers first spotted the young apes clinging to trees on Tuesday morning and immediately alerted the forest department.
What State Forest And Environment Minister Said
State Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia on Wednesday said the joint probe by the Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) would look into how the animals came to Balasore, who brought them to the forest and who was involved in such activities.
"Given the high value of the animals -- an orangutan can fetch Rs 20-25 lakh in international markets -- it is suspected that they were smuggled from foreign forests."
The minister said orangutans are not found in India and are native to rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia, including the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
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"A team of veterinary doctors are monitoring the health of the animals, and they are stable. I will visit them today. These rare animals are kept in an air-conditioned atmosphere," the minister said.
"We are at the preliminary stage of investigation and presently collecting data and facts available locally. We are in contact with the central government’s IG, wildlife, and seeking to know whether a similar incident had ever happened in any part of the country," STF DIG Vishal Singh said.
Of the five rescued orangutans, three are males and two are females. The animals are estimated to be between six months and one year old and stand roughly one to one-and-a-half feet tall.
All five are currently being provided with food and oral rehydration solutions as veterinary officials monitor their health.