Five infant orangutans found in Odisha forests, trafficking probe launched

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...

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