Baleshwar/Bhubaneswar: In a rare discovery, Forest Department personnel in Odisha’s Baleshwar spotted five orangutans in the Rankotha protected forest area of the district on Tuesday.
According to information, a team from the Udaypur forest division spotted the orangutans near Badapahi while on routine patrol in the morning.
Senior officials were immediately informed, and the orangutans were successfully rescued and taken to a local hospital for medical examination.
It may be noted that Orangutans are not native to Indian forests, making the sighting highly unusual.
The Forest Department has launched an inquiry to ascertain as to how and from where the five orangutans reached Baleshwar.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Prem Jha said the health of the animals will be thoroughly checked, and a detailed investigation will be conducted into their origin and the circumstances of their arrival.
As the discovery of in Odisha raised several questions, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said the possibility of an international link behind the alleged trafficking of the rare animals is being investigated.
The animals are currently being kept in quarantine and are expected to be shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park later. Veterinarians will conduct their medical examination and provide necessary treatment.
Stating that orangutans are generally found in regions including Malaysia, Sumatra and Indonesia, the minister said their presence in Odisha has raised serious questions about how they were brought into the country.
Khuntia said an international wildlife trafficking syndicate may be involved in the case. He claimed that an orangutan can fetch around Rs 25 lakh in the illegal market.
“An investigation is underway to determine whether the animals were being trafficked and where they were being taken. Since this species is not found in India, the possibility of an international link cannot be ruled out,” the minister said.
Additional Chief Conservator of Forests (ACCF) is likely to investigate the matter, following which the exact circumstances behind the recovery may emerge. Authorities will also examine whether the animals were being transported to West Bengal or another destination.
The minister further said that orangutans are generally calm in nature and are not known to harm humans. He added that research would be conducted on the animals after their arrival at Nandankanan.