Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha

The discovery of five infant orangutans in a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district has led to a wildlife trafficking investigation and a request from Indonesia for their return. The animals were rescued from the Bichitrapur forest area on September 8 and shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they have been kept in quarantine.

Orangutans are not native to India. Their natural range is in Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Their presence in Odisha has led forest and enforcement agencies to examine whether the animals were brought into India through an illegal wildlife trafficking network.

Indonesia’s forestry ministry has communicated with Indian authorities and sought the return of the animals for repatriation and rehabilitation. Based on preliminary physical observations, the orangutans are suspected to be of Sumatran origin. However, officials have said DNA testing is needed to confirm their species and genetic origin before any further decision is taken.

There are three living species of orangutans: Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli. All three are found outside India. Orangutans are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, which gives them the highest level of international protection under the convention.

Indonesia’s Request And The Repatriation Process

Indonesia has offered assistance to India for the care and possible rehabilitation of the five orangutans. However, Odisha forest officials have said the offer does not by itself establish that the animals belong to Indonesia. The country of origin will have to be confirmed through DNA analysis.

That process is important because repatriation in such cases depends on scientific confirmation, legal documentation and coordination between the countries involved. Under CITES-linked procedures, authorities have to establish the species, origin and whether the animals were illegally imported.

Under India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, living CITES-listed animals that have been illegally imported may be returned to the country of origin at that country’s expense. If they cannot be returned, they are to be housed and cared for at a recognised zoo or rescue centre.

At present, the five animals remain at Nandankanan Zoological Park. The Odisha government has also written to the Central Zoo Authority seeking permission to keep the orangutans at the zoo. According to state officials, the CZA is yet to respond.

Zoo officials have said the animals are being kept in a temperature-controlled quarantine room and are being gradually acclimatised. The five include three males and two females. They have been described as infant orangutans, aged between six months and one year in one official account, while another estimate placed them at around one-and-a-half years. Officials said their immediate priority is to ensure that the rescued animals remain physically and mentally stable.

Probe Into How The Orangutans Reached Odisha

Odisha Police’s Special Task Force and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are investigating the case. A formal case was registered after an application by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. The STF is examining where the animals came from, how they reached the forest, and what their intended destination may have been.

Officials have said the circumstances indicate the possible involvement of an international trafficking network. Since orangutans are non-native to India, investigators are looking at cross-border and inter-state movement routes.

The probe is looking at whether the animals were transported through interior road networks between West Bengal and Odisha to avoid checks on national highways. Officials have also examined CCTV footage that reportedly showed a black SUV passing through a village near the rescue site on the night before the orangutans were found.

Investigators have questioned people in Digha in West Bengal, which is close to Bichitrapur. Raids were also reported in the area. Officials are also examining whether the animals may have entered eastern India through Myanmar and the Northeast. STF teams have also visited marine police stations along the eastern coast to explore whether waterways may have been used.

An official quoted in the source material said orangutans can fetch around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh each in the international market. Such animals are often trafficked for private collections and the exotic pet trade.

The 2022 Orangutans Still In India

The Odisha case has also drawn attention to an earlier orangutan rescue in India. In 2022, two baby orangutans were rescued from Assam’s Cachar district near the Assam-Mizoram interstate border. They were found in a cardboard box near the Lailapur checkpost and later moved to the Assam State Zoo.

Those two animals continue to be housed in India, showing how long repatriation can take when origin and trafficking routes are not fully established. The case was also treated as one linked to illegal cross-border wildlife movement, but the wider trafficking chain was not conclusively traced.

The Central Zoo Authority’s animal inventory later recorded the two as Sumatran orangutans, one male and one female. Their continued stay in India underlines the procedural challenges involved in returning trafficked exotic wildlife, particularly when investigations do not clearly establish the full route, origin and network involved.

(With inputs from PTI and other news sources)

FAQs

1. Why were five orangutans found in Odisha?
Orangutans are not native to India, so their presence in Odisha has raised concerns about illegal wildlife trafficking. Investigators are examining how the animals entered India and reached the Bichitrapur forest area.

2. Is Indonesia asking India to return the five orangutans?
Yes. Indonesia's forestry ministry has requested their return for repatriation and rehabilitation. However, their country of origin must first be confirmed through scientific testing.

3. Are the five orangutans from Indonesia?
The animals are suspected to be Sumatran orangutans, but their origin has not been confirmed. DNA testing will be needed to establish their species and genetic origin before any repatriation decision is made.

4. Where are the rescued orangutans now?
The five infant orangutans are currently at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they are being kept in a temperature-controlled quarantine facility and gradually acclimatised.

5. Will the five orangutans be returned to Indonesia?
Repatriation has not yet been confirmed. Authorities must first establish their species, origin and legal circumstances of import before deciding whether the animals can be returned to Indonesia.