Journalism of Courage
As 5 orangutans find new home in Odisha, a probe into how they landed there
5 Orangutans Rescued in Odisha: DIG KV Singh, the officer in charge of the Special Task Force, said the investigation is in its preliminary stage and they are examining documents prepared by the forest department.
The orangutans have been brought to Nandankanan Zoo and are under quarantine and medical supervision. (Special arrangement)
A day after forest officials rescued five infant orangutans from a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district, a special team from Odisha Police and one from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are checking for the involvement of an animal smuggling racket.
For now, the orangutans have been quarantined at Bhubaneswar’s Nandankanan Zoo and are under medical supervision.
As 5 orangutans find new home in Odisha, a probe into how they landed there https://t.co/tMfYYHqoi9 pic.twitter.com/1FV2QejMHc
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) September 9, 2026
And the state government has sought approval from authorities at the Centre to keep the baby orangutans – who seem to be juveniles based on their size, i.e, 1 to 1.5 feet in height – in the state.
Baby orangutans, in India?
The orangutans were spotted in the forests near a village called Badapai early Tuesday. By 6 am the news had spread, rapidly, and thousands of curious onlookers gathered. Alerted, the Forest Department stepped in and rescued them.
Odisha orangutans (Pic by special arrangement)
A three-member Special Task Force has reached the site from where the orangutans were rescued and is verifying available CCTV footage, as well as questioning locals. Teams from WCCB’s Bhopal and Kolkata units are also expected to reach soon.
KV Singh, the Deputy Inspector General in-charge of the task force, has said the inquiry into how the orangutans turned up in an Odisha forest – and whether there is a smuggling angle to the mystery – is in its preliminary stage.
Were 5 baby orangutans smuggled into India?
The STF is examining documents prepared by the Forest Department, he said, and refused to comment on speculation.
The STF is examining documents prepared by the Forest Department, he said, and refused to comment on speculation. “Since it’s a very sensitive matter, it would not be appropriate to speculate… We are analysing similar cases detected in India in recent years and contacting teams that looked into them. We are currently gathering data and carrying out the local inquiry,” he explained.
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Field notes — great apes of the rainforest canopy
What are orangutans?
Asia's only great ape, and the largest tree-dwelling mammal on Earth — found nowhere in the wild except two islands, thousands of kilometres from where five juveniles were just found in an Odisha forest.
At a glance
Built for a life in the treetops
Orangutans spend nearly all of their lives above the forest floor, using extraordinary arm strength and grip to move hand over hand through the canopy rather than leaping like monkeys.
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1–1.5 ft
Height of a juvenile, like the five found in Odisha
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2.2 m
Arm span of an adult male, nearly twice their standing height
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40 yrs
Average lifespan in the wild
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55 yrs
Maximum lifespan reached in captivity
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Native range
Two islands, and nowhere else
Wild orangutans exist only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. There is no natural land corridor connecting these islands to India — which is why officials say the Odisha sighting could not have been a natural migration.
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Sumatra & Borneo
The only two places wild orangutans exist — both in Southeast Asia
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Balasore, Odisha
Where the five juveniles were found — roughly 2,700 km away
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The Balasore DFO's view
"Chances of natural migration is less as there is no corridor link. It must be a human-induced act."
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Officials have, however, confirmed a case under the Wildlife Protection Act will be registered soon.
Odisha’s Forest and Environment Minister, Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, seemed more forthcoming; he said India is not a natural habitat for orangutans and therefore the state government suspects animal smugglers are involved. “We are verifying whether they were brought by sea route or road… CCTV footage from the railway station, airport, and other points is being examined.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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