Why 5 Orangutans Found In Odisha Have Raised Smuggling Questions

Five young orangutans were found in a forest near Badapali village in Bhograi block of Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday morning, prompting an inquiry into how the critically endangered great apes, which are not native to India, reached the area.

A member of the local Vana Suraksha Samiti alerted the Forest Department around 6 am after mistaking the animals for monkeys, according to Moneycontrol. Forest officers reached the area near Barpai village, identified the animals as orangutans, fed them and shifted them to the Udaipur Section Office after a crowd gathered.

Young Orangutans Rescued, Found Healthy

The five orangutans: two females and three males, were estimated to be about a year old. Balasore Divisional Forest Officer Indalkar Pratik Prakash said all five were young and had limited mobility, leading officials to believe they would have been unable to travel any significant distance on their own.

Forest personnel, veterinarians and biologists examined the animals following their rescue. The department also worked with scientists from Nandankanan and the Wildlife Trust of India. Under expert guidance, the orangutans were given medication, food and ORS. Officials said all five appeared healthy, active and responsive to food.

Smuggling Suspected

The discovery has raised suspicions of possible human intervention. Officials said the young animals would have faced difficulties surviving overnight in the area because of jackals, foxes, dogs and langurs.

However, the Forest Department has not established that a wildlife crime took place. “Smuggling is a possibility, but we cannot state that conclusively right now because we haven't found any evidence regarding it,” Prakash said.

An inquiry has been launched to determine how the orangutans reached the forest. Forest personnel have carried out combing and search operations around the location, while officials plan to examine CCTV footage from nearby areas. An inquiry officer has also been appointed.

The Forest Department will coordinate with the police, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Special Task Force. Prakash said multiple agencies would need to work together as orangutans are an international species and are not native to India.

‘People Of The Forest’

The orangutan is found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and is critically endangered. According to BBC Earth, three species have been identified — the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans, with the Tapanuli recognised as a separate species in 2017.

The name orangutan comes from the Malay words for “person” and “forest”. They share about 97% of their DNA with humans and are highly dexterous, using tools and leaves for tasks such as extracting insects and sheltering from rain.

Gardeners Of The Forest

Orangutans spend about 90% of their time in the forest canopy and are the largest tree-dwelling mammals. Their diet consists largely of fruit, with orangutans known to eat more than 400 different foods.

They also play an important ecological role by dispersing seeds and helping regenerate forests, earning them the nickname “the gardeners of the forest”.

Their habitat, however, has been severely affected by logging, palm oil production, mining, agricultural expansion and climate-driven forest fires. BBC Earth noted that Borneo has lost 10 million hectares, or 39%, of its original forest cover in under four decades.