Five orangutans rescued from Odisha forest, wildlife smuggling suspected

Bhubaneswar: The recovery of five orangutans from a forest area in Bhograi block of Baleshwar district in Odisha on Tuesday has raised suspicions of their possible trafficking and the involvement of an international wildlife smuggling racket.

Speaking to media persons, Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said that following the receipt of information regarding the presence of orangutans in a forest at Bhograi of Baleshwar district, the forest department officials reached the spot and rescued five infant orangutans aged about 1 to two years.

He further added that these ape species are native to rainforest areas of Indonesia and Malaysia.

They were also spotted in some other parts of the Asian sub-continent. The Minister also added that the species, however, are extremely rare in India.

“Though these species are not found in Odisha, it is fortunate for us that such exotic wildlife species have been spotted in the state. They might have come here in search of food, or there could be an international wildlife smuggling racket involved. According to information, one orangutan is priced at around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh in the international market,” said SinghKhuntia.

He also noted that the Forest Department team would bring the exotic animals to a designated facility, where they would be kept in quarantine and administered the necessary treatment. They will later be kept in Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar.

The Minister noted that the forest department has launched an investigation to ascertain how the exotic species reached Odisha and the involvement of an international wildlife smuggling racket. As per reports, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has also been informed about the recovery. The agency is also likely to initiate an investigation into the matter.

Orangutans are great apes native to Indonesia and Malaysia, known for their intelligence and reddish-brown hair. They are critically endangered, with populations declining due to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade. It is worth noting that India has no native orangutan populations.

Therefore, the recovery of five orangutans in a forest in Odisha has raised suspicions of the involvement of an international wildlife smuggling racket.

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