Five young orangutans were found early Tuesday morning near Badapali village in the Bhograi Block of Odisha’s Balasore Division, prompting local forest authorities to launch investigation into how the non-native primates ended up in the region.
Balasore Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Indalkar Pratik Prakash stated that forest officials were alerted around 6 AM by a Vana Surakshya Samiti (VSS) member about the five animals believed to belong to the monkey species.
Upon arrival near Barpai village, forest personnel confirmed the animals were indeed orangutans rather than local monkey species.
“When our staff arrived and inspected the site located near Barpai village in Bhograi Block, they discovered that the animals were actually orangutans,” the DFO said.
The officials noted that all the five were young and remained relatively stationary but were alert and responsive. After offering the animals food at the spot, the officials rescued the orangutans and shifted them to the Udaipur Section Office for proper assessment.
The DFO emphasized that given the animals’ tender age and restricted mobility, they could not have travelled long distances on their own. He further observed that surviving unassisted overnight in the local environment would have been difficult due to regional predators like jackals, stray dogs, and foxes.
“Smuggling is a possibility, but we cannot state that conclusively right now because we haven’t found any evidence regarding it,” Prakash said.Five Orangutans Discovered in Odisha’s Balasore; Forest Department Probes Illegal Trafficking
While acknowledging that human intervention is highly probable given that orangutans are native exclusively to Southeast Asia, Prakash refrained from confirming illegal trafficking without concrete physical evidence.
He noted that because the species does not naturally travel across Indian habitats, the department strongly suspects the primates were deliberately transported into the area by humans.
“We will investigate who brought them, and only then will we be able to say for sure,” he said.
The five orangutans, two females and three males, are approximately one year old. A thorough medical examination was conducted by forest officials, veterinarians and wildlife biologists, with support from the scientists of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Nandankanan Zoological Park, on the animals.
Experts administered oral rehydration solutions, food, and preventive medication, reporting that all five juveniles appear healthy, active, and receptive to feeding.
Forest authorities have launched an inquiry in to the incident, conducting search operations and analysing surrounding CCTV footage to find clues.
DFO Prakash stated that an inquiry officer has been assigned, and the department will partner with the Odisha Police, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the Special Task Force (STF) to track down the origins of the international species.
