Indonesia, India fast-track return of five orangutan cubs found in Odisha

Five baby orangutans rescued in Odisha are at the centre of India-Indonesia coordination. The case points to suspected international wildlife trafficking as DNA tests and repatriation plans move ahead.Image used for representational purposes onlyIndonesia is working with authorities in India to speed up the repatriation of five baby orangutans found in an Odisha forest, in a case suspected to be linked to transnational wildlife trafficking, according to a local media report.The cubs, three males and two females aged between six months and one year, were rescued on September 8 and later shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for care. Indonesian authorities said they had been coordinating with the relevant agencies in India since the animals were found.State-run Antara news agency reported that Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry on Friday said the government was in touch with Indian authorities over the case. The cubs were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Balasore district."Based on preliminary observations of their physical characteristics, the five animals are suspected to be Sumatran orangutans," Ristianto Pribadi, Head of the ministry's Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation Bureau, said in a statement. He said this identification was still preliminary and that scientific authorities would carry out DNA testing to definitively establish the species and the animals' genetic origins. Zoo authorities in Odisha said the state government had provided all facilities for the comfort of the orangutans to help them de-stress. They said the animals showed a range of emotions, from playful behaviour and brief mood swings to anxiously clinging to one another. The cubs have also been playing with soft toys and listening to music on the advice of animal health experts, and are gradually becoming stress-free, they added.As orangutans are native to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, their presence in India strongly suggests they were smuggled through an international wildlife trafficking network. The Indonesian ministry is coordinating with India's CITES Management Authority, diplomatic missions in Jakarta and New Delhi, Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, and the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate the animals' return. The case involves five rescued infant orangutans now under care in Bhubaneswar, while Indonesia and India work together on identification, coordination and steps for their repatriation.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 12, 2026 20:36 IST