5 baby orangutans found in Indian forest spark trafficking investigation

Wed Sep 09 2026 16:08:15 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Wildlife officials in Odisha uncover five orphaned orangutans in a forest, sparking a probe into illegal smuggling and animal welfare.

In Odisha, five young orangutans were discovered far from their native habitat, prompting a swift rescue operation and a deeper investigation into possible trafficking. Local villagers alerted forest officials, who brought the animals to Bhubaneswar for quarantine and medical care. Authorities are probing whether the apes were illegally smuggled into India by a wildlife crime network and abandoned near a highway. The case echoes a 2022 incident where two baby orangutans were found abandoned at a border checkpoint, underscoring the ongoing threat of illegal wildlife trade. It also highlights the critical conservation status of orangutans, which are considered critically endangered worldwide.

5 baby orangutans discovered in Indian forest ignite trafficking investigation

Recent videos show five orphaned orange‑red apes sitting together in a forest in Odisha, an area far from the tropical rainforests where they normally live in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Local villagers alerted forest officials, who rescued the youngsters and brought them to a quarantine centre in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha’s forest minister has launched an inquiry to check whether the apes were smuggled in by an international wildlife trafficking network and left along a highway.

The animals’ young age (they are believed to be one to two years old) raises the alarm because orangutans usually stay with their mothers for many years before learning to survive on their own.

India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been asked to investigate, while police, forest officials and a special task force are involved.

The incident follows a 2022 case in which two baby orangutans were found abandoned near a border checkpoint, suspected of being brought in from Myanmar.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies all orangutan species as critically endangered, and UN treaty CITES prohibits commercial trade in these apes.

The discovery highlights the ongoing battle against illegal wildlife trade and the need for stronger protection for the world’s most intelligent primates.