Five baby orangutans have been rescued from a forest in Balasore district, prompting Odisha Police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to investigate what officials believe may be a sophisticated international wildlife trafficking network.
The primates were discovered in Bichitrapur forest under Bhograi block on the morning of September 8. Orangutans are not native to India and command significant value in the illegal wildlife market, officials said.
Vehicle and CCTV Investigation
Investigators are now searching for a black SUV reportedly seen near Badapahi village the previous night. The Special Task Force has examined footage from 55 CCTV cameras installed in Bhograi and nearby Digha in West Bengal.
“We have verified the vehicle’s movement on Monday night in both places, but so far, there has been no breakthrough,” a senior police officer said. “The SUV could provide a major clue.”
Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said villagers reported seeing the black SUV in the area where the orangutans were rescued. CCTV footage confirmed the vehicle passed through around 11:25 pm on Monday, though only the upper portion was captured—officials could not read the registration number.
Police have also recovered face masks from a black polythene bag in the area and suspect they may have been used by whoever released the animals. Local residents have denied any connection with the masks.
Trafficking Route Analysis
Regional Chief Conservator of Forests R.F. Prakash Chandra Gogineni, who also serves as director of the Similipal Tiger Reserve, said circumstantial evidence pointed to the animals being transported from West Bengal through the Digha-Chandaneswar-Bhograi route.
“The wildlife traffickers deliberately avoided national highways and instead used interior village roads to transport the animals,” Gogineni said. “The presence of the animals pointed to a possible international trafficking link, as orangutans cannot be legally bred or kept locally in India.”
Gogineni said the animals could have been trafficked from Southeast Asia through Myanmar and the Northeast into eastern India. Orangutans fetch around Rs 20-25 lakh each in the international market, according to the investigation.
Investigation Expansion
Teams from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau’s Bhopal and Kolkata offices have joined the investigation. STF personnel have also visited a marine police station to explore whether the animals might have arrived through waterways via ships or fishing trawlers.
“If the orangutans were brought from Indonesia, there will definitely be international operatives involved,” Gogineni said. “The international traffickers must also have agents in local areas, either in West Bengal or Odisha. We have to find them.”
Government Response
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed forest and police authorities to dismantle the alleged trafficking network and ensure Odisha is not used as a transit route for wildlife smuggling.
Bhograi MLA Gautam Buddha Das called for Interpol assistance, citing the case’s international dimensions. “The state government should seek Interpol’s involvement immediately,” Das said, adding that the trafficking network likely extends beyond India’s borders.
The forest department has restricted public entry to Bichitrapur forest to prevent evidence from being tampered with as the investigation continues.