Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In a rare and startling discovery, five orangutans, great apes native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, were rescued from a forested area in Odisha’s Baleshwar district, triggering an investigation into how the exotic animals reached India and whether wildlife smuggling was involved.
Forest officials rescued the five primates from the Rankotha Badapahi area under the Udaipur Forest Department on Tuesday morning after receiving tip-offs from local residents.
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According to news agency PTI, a forest department team rushed to the area early in the morning and secured the animals. A veterinary team was subsequently deployed to conduct health examinations and provide necessary treatment.
The discovery of orangutans in the forests of Odisha has raised serious questions, as the animals are not native to India.
Orangutans are naturally found in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, making their presence in a forest in Baleshwar highly unusual.
Forest officials have launched an investigation to determine where the animals came from and how they entered the region.
Authorities are also probing the possibility that the primates may have been brought into the country through an illegal wildlife trafficking network before being abandoned or escaping into the forest.
“Their health checkups are being conducted. Investigations will be carried out to determine from where and how the orangutans came from before entering the forest,” a forest official said.
The five animals have been shifted to Nandankanan, where they will be kept under observation as officials continue their investigation.
The state government urged the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to inquire into how the critically endangered great apes reached Bichitrapur forest area under Bhograi block.
The incident has sparked widespread curiosity and concern among residents in the area, who were surprised to find the exotic great apes in the nearby forests.
Wildlife trafficking involving exotic animals remains a major concern for enforcement agencies, with animals often transported illegally across international borders for the pet trade or other purposes.
Officials are now expected to focus on tracing the possible route through which the five orangutans entered India and identifying those responsible, if illegal trafficking is confirmed.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
