Five baby orangutans have been found in a forest in Odisha, far from their natural habitat, prompting a fresh investigation into wildlife trafficking.
Photographs and videos shared online show the young apes sitting together on the forest floor, eating bananas thousands of kilometres from their native tropical rainforests.
Orangutans are not native to India, existing only in Indonesia and Malaysia and classified as critically endangered.
Odisha's forest minister said investigators are looking into a possible international smuggling network and that the animals may have been abandoned near a highway.
The babies were rescued early Tuesday in Balasore district after locals spotted them and alerted officials.
They received first aid before being taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they are quarantined and monitored.
Forest officer Pratik Prakash Indalkar said the animals could not have reached Odisha naturally and were likely transported by road.
The five were found in Ranakata, a proposed reserve forest near the West Bengal border, close to a state highway.
Police, forest officials and a special task force are involved in the inquiry; the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been asked to investigate.
Officials say the orangutans may have been present for only two or three days, with no other animals or clues found.
Their young age—reports say they are between one and two years old—raises concerns because baby orangutans are usually raised by mothers for several years.
In 2022, a pair of baby orangutans were found abandoned near a border checkpoint between Assam and Mizoram, suspected of coming from Myanmar.
The species faces steep population decline due to deforestation, habitat loss and hunting, and international trade is prohibited by CITES and Indian wildlife laws.
Despite protections, orangutans continue to be trafficked for exotic pet sales and private collectors.
