India: 5 Baby Orangutans Rescued, Smuggling Suspected
- On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, local residents discovered five young orangutans in a casuarina plantation within Odisha's Balasore district. The Forest Department rescued the animals after they were spotted in the Bichitrapur forest area.
- Because orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, their appearance in India prompted officials to investigate potential illegal wildlife trafficking. The Odisha Forest and Environment Department engaged the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to determine how the animals arrived.
- Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia confirmed multiple agencies launched a thorough probe into the suspected trafficking. Deputy Inspector General of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh stated the Special Task Force is examining all possibilities, including smuggling.
- The five orangutans—three males and two females—are quarantined at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar under round-the-clock veterinary care. Authorities await Central Zoo Authority permission before deciding on future public display.
- Regional Chief Conservator of Forests Prakash Chand Gogineni suggested the incident may involve a botched transit operation. While trafficking is not new to India, with previous rescues in Maharashtra, Assam, and Mizoram, the zoo has prior experience caring for orangutans.
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Balasore (India), 9 Sep. (askanews) - The Indian authorities have announced that they have saved five orangutan cubs from a forest in the eastern part of the country, as reported by a regional minister, who suspects trafficking in wild animals from Southeast Asia. Orangutans, a species found only in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, have been discovered in the district of Balasore, in the state of Odisha.
Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Reviews Care Arrangements for Five Rescued Juvenile Orangutans at Nandankanan Zoological Park
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. He inspected the quarantine and care facilities and reviewed the specialised arrangements, including round-the-clock surveillance, health monitoring, appropriate milk feeding, and dedicated care by a specially assigned team of animal keepers working in rotation, as per the information shared by the Forest Minister's office. India News | Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister R…
Bhubaneswar’s Nandankanan Zoo Gets Five Rescued Baby Orangutans, Their First Moments Caught On Video
Five baby orangutans rescued from a forest in Odisha's Balasore district have arrived at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where wildlife officials will now care for the young animals. The five orangutans, believed to be around a year old, were rescued
Five orangutans were suddenly found in the forests of Odisha. India is not their home, nor can they travel such a long distance on their own. So who brought these five to Balasore? After their rescue, the biggest question now is not how to save them, but how to get them here.
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