The mystery surrounding five baby orangutans found in a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday has deepened, with authorities suspecting that the animals may have been illegally smuggled into India.
According to Forest Officer Prateek Prakash Indulkar, the five orangutans—three males and two females—have been shifted to Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar. They are estimated to be between six months and one year old. Four are in good health, while the fifth is being closely monitored after showing signs of dehydration.
Regional Chief Conservator of Forests Prakash Chand Gogineni said the animals’ presence in India is highly unusual. Orangutans are native to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia, including the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. They are not naturally found in India, raising strong suspicions of illegal trafficking.
Mothers may have been killed to capture infants
Gogineni said capturing baby orangutans for the illegal wildlife trade can involve killing their mothers. Female orangutans generally remain with their young for several years, making the survival of these five infants without their mothers particularly challenging.
Authorities are now investigating how the animals reached Balasore.
The orangutan was rescued from the Bichitrapur forest area located in the Bhograi block of Balasore district, Odisha
Later, it was kept at the Nandankanan Zoo, where it is being taken care of
Black SUV under scanner
Officials suspect the orangutans may have been transported by road by an international trafficking network. Indulkar said there is no natural land route connecting India with the orangutans’ native habitat, while reaching Odisha by sea would also make their discovery highly unusual.
Local residents reportedly saw a black SUV near the forest on Monday night. The vehicle was allegedly captured on CCTV, and authorities are now tracing its owner. One possibility being examined is that smugglers abandoned the animals and fled after fearing police checks or detection.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) have launched a joint investigation.
Demand from private zoos and farmhouses
Officials suspect that demand from wealthy individuals could be contributing to the illegal trade. Orangutans are highly intelligent and share several behavioural traits with humans, making them attractive to people who illegally keep exotic animals in private collections, farmhouses or so-called private zoos.
Authorities are also examining the possibility that the animals entered India through the Northeast, using Myanmar as a transit route. The Assam-Mizoram border has previously emerged in investigations involving illegal wildlife trafficking. In 2022, two orangutans were reportedly recovered near the Assam-Mizoram border after allegedly being brought into India through Myanmar.
International trafficking network suspected
Gogineni said the case may be linked to a wider, multi-layered international trafficking syndicate. Such networks can involve poachers capturing animals in Indonesia or Malaysia, international brokers operating from countries such as Myanmar, Thailand or Vietnam, cross-border agents and domestic couriers.
The animals may then be transported into India using forged or fake documents before being handed over to larger dealers.
Investigators are examining whether such a route was used in the Balasore case, including the possibility that trafficked animals were moved through the Northeast and onward via the Siliguri Corridor.
The immediate challenge, however, is keeping the five young orangutans alive and ensuring their safety while investigators work to uncover where they came from and who brought them to Odisha.
