On five orangutans, Indonesia’s outreach, Odisha’s reply
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- ✓More than 50 CCTV images are being examined, an officer said.
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Amid reports of Indonesia seeking the return of the five rescued baby orangutans from a forest in Odisha, senior state government officials said they haven’t yet thought about their repatriation and that the focus is now on their survival.
Sources said Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry wrote to the Indian CITES Management Authority, which regulates the entry of exotic wildlife into India, offering help to ensure the return of the orangutans if their genetic samples reveal their origin in Indonesia.
Although Odisha government sources said they haven’t officially received any such communication from any Indian agencies, officials said they came across such reports. Significantly, orangutans live exclusively in the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra (Indonesia and Malaysia).
Odisha’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), PK Jha, said the decision on sending them back to their country of origin or putting them on public display here will be taken at a later stage. “Our focus is to take steps to ensure their survival.
We have kept them in the hand-rearing centre at Nandankanan Zoological Park. They were initially in shock but now they are doing fine,” Jha told reporters. Officials said their blood samples for DNA profiling will be collected only after the animals acclimatise to their new environment, which could be 10 days after their stay in the zoo.
On Tuesday morning, the five baby orangutans were rescued from a forest in the state’s Balasore district, raising concerns of a global smuggling ring. A joint team of the Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been probing how the animals reached Odisha’s forests.
Sources said that the STF has detained at least three people. Sources also said its multiple teams are conducting raids at different locations in areas of West Bengal, which shares a border with Odisha. The place where the apes were rescued is close to the West Bengal border, with some evidence suggesting that smugglers are using the interior road networks of West Bengal and Odisha to evade checking.
Authorities are focusing on a black SUV seen passing through the area. More than 50 CCTV images are being examined, an officer said. Odisha DGP Vinaytosh Mishra on Friday directed the STF to formally lodge an FIR into the incident and intensify the probe.
He assured action in the case soon. Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More
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| Issuing Authority | The Indian Express National |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | INDIA |
| Jurisdiction | All India / National |
| Publication Date | 11 September 2026 |