Five infant orangutans, which are not native to India, were rescued from a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday, The Hindu reported. Forest officials suspect that the animals may have been trafficked into the country.The orangutans, three males and two females aged between six months and one year, were found in the Udayapur section of the Jaleswar Range after residents of the area spotted them and alerted forest officials. They had been in the area for two or three days, unidentified officials were quoted as saying.#WATCH | Balasore, Odisha | Five baby orangutans, two females and three males, all under one year old, were found in the Ranakatha Protected Reserve Forest (PRF) near Badapai village, which is not their natural habitat.According to Balasore DFO Indalkar Pratik Prakash, "While… pic.twitter.com/CcdHwug3FO— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2026
Orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia and are found only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. International commercial trade in orangutans is prohibited under Cites, the global agreement governing trade in endangered wildlife. The animals are also protected under Indian wildlife laws.Despite this, orangutans continue to be trafficked for sale as exotic pets and to private collectors.On Wednesday, the animals were given first aid before being taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they have been placed in quarantine and are being monitored. They do not appear to have any injuries.The Forest Department is investigating where the animals came from and who may have been involved, The Hindu quoted State Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia as saying. A case has also been registered under wildlife laws.This was not the first time orangutans had been found in India. A juvenile orangutan was found during a raid on a Mumbai flat in November 2024, The Print reported.In 2022, two baby orangutans were found abandoned at a checkpoint near the border between Assam and Mizoram, BBC reported.Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.Also read: A border district in Mizoram has become a hub of wildlife smuggling in India
