Bhubaneswar, September 9:The Odisha Police Special Task Force (STF) has launched an investigation into the suspected international smuggling of five baby orangutans found in a forest in Balasore district, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), STF, Himanshu Lal said the investigation would focus on tracing the entire network allegedly involved in bringing the animals into the region and identifying their intended destination.
“STF is investigating this. The case has been taken up, and we will finish off all the networks. Stringent action will be taken against all the gangs involved. This is being supervised by the DIG,” Lal told ANI.
“We are making every effort to take maximum action as per the law at the earliest. We will examine the entire network, where they brought the orangutans from and where they were being taken. We will investigate from scientific and technical angles. We will dismantle the entire network,” he said.
The five orangutans were found near Badapali village under Bhograi block in Balasore district on Tuesday morning, prompting the Forest Department to investigate how the animals reached the area.
Balasore Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Indalkar Pratik Prakash said forest officials received information from a member of the Village Forest Protection Committee (VSS) around 6 am about five animals believed to be monkeys.
“When our staff arrived and inspected the site located near Barpai village in Bhograi block, they discovered that the animals were actually orangutans,” the DFO said.
According to forest officials, all five animals were young and showed limited movement, although they were alert and active. They were initially provided food at the site.
As a crowd began gathering, officials rescued the animals and shifted them to the Udaipur Section Office for further examination and assessment.
The DFO said the animals’ young age and limited mobility indicated that they were unlikely to have travelled a long distance on their own. Their survival in the area overnight would also have been difficult because of the presence of jackals, foxes, dogs and langurs.
“Smuggling is a possibility, but we cannot state that conclusively right now because we haven't found any evidence regarding it,” Prakash said.
He added that orangutans are not native to Odisha and do not naturally migrate across such habitats, raising the possibility of human intervention.
“We will investigate who brought them, and only then will we be able to say for sure,” he said.
The five orangutans—two females and three males—are estimated to be around one year old. Forest officials, veterinarians and biologists examined the animals, while the department also coordinated with scientists from Nandankanan Zoological Park and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The STF and Forest Department are now investigating the animals’ origin, the circumstances under which they reached Balasore and whether they are connected to an organised wildlife trafficking network.
