Five young orangutans rescued from Odisha’s Bichitrapur casuarina forest.

Five young orangutans rescued from Odisha’s Bichitrapur casuarina forest.

Forest officials reportedly found the animals apparently abandoned in the coastal forest of Balasore district, raising serious questions about how a species not native to Odisha reached the area.

Authorities are investigating possible poaching and wildlife trafficking angles. Orangutans are native only to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, thousands of kilometres away.

Reports suggest each orangutan could fetch around ₹20–25 lakh on the international illegal wildlife market, highlighting the potential trafficking network behind the shocking discovery.

The rescued infants will now be hand-reared at the Centre for Rearing Animal Babies at the zoo, where they will receive specialised care and protection.