The Indonesian government is working to repatriate five orangutan infants found abandoned in a forest in Odisha, India, on Tuesday, September 8, with preliminary observations suggesting the animals may have originated from Sumatra.
The five orangutans were discovered by India’s Forest Department during a patrol in the Bhogarai/Udaipur Block forest area in the Jaleswar region of Balasore District, Odisha. They are estimated to be between one and one-and-a-half years old and were reportedly found in good health.
The animals are currently being cared for and quarantined at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar.
Indonesia Begins Repatriation Efforts
Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry said it is coordinating with authorities in both countries to verify the animals’ origins, ensure their welfare and pursue their return to Indonesia.
“The Indonesian government has taken concrete steps coordinating with relevant authorities in both India and Indonesia to ensure proper care, verify their origins, and pursue the repatriation of the five orangutans to Indonesia,” the Ministry stated in a release received by CNN Indonesia on Friday, September 11.
Based on their physical characteristics and morphology, the five animals are suspected to be Sumatran orangutans. However, the Ministry stressed that their identification remains preliminary.
“However, the Indonesian government emphasises that this identification is preliminary; confirmation of the species and genetic origins will be determined through DNA testing conducted by authorised scientific bodies,” the Ministry added.
Ahmad Munawir, Director of Species and Genetic Conservation at the Ministry of Forestry, said the government has coordinated with India’s CITES Management Authority, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), acting as the Scientific Authority, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
“This coordination aims to ensure that the entire process proceeds in accordance with national legal provisions and international mechanisms, including the regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” the Ministry said.
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Wildlife Trafficking Suspected
Orangutans are native only to Indonesia and Malaysia, with populations found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Their presence in India has therefore raised concerns about illegal wildlife trafficking.
Indian officials suspect that an international network may have been involved in bringing the animals into the country. Odisha Environment Minister Ram Singh Khuntia told the IANS news agency via AFP that the orangutans were found while forestry officials were conducting a patrol.
“The five orangutans were found while the Forestry Department was conducting a patrol in the Udaipur area, within the Jaleswar Range of Balasore District,” Khuntia said.
He added that investigators were still working to determine how the animals arrived in India, while the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau will investigate the case.
“We suspect an international network is involved in this case,” he said.
However, Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has stressed that there is currently no conclusive evidence proving that the five orangutans were smuggled from Indonesia to India.
