Five Baby Orangutans Found in India, Indonesia Prepares for Repatriation

JAKARTA, GARISBUMI.com – The Indonesian government is working to repatriate five baby orangutans found in the forest area of ​​Balasore District, Odisha State, India. The animal, which is thought to have come from Sumatra, is indicated to be a victim of illegal cross-border trade.

The five baby orangutans were found by the local Forest Service in the Bhogarai/Udaipur Block forest area, Jaleswar area, Balasore District, on Tuesday, September 8 2026. The location of the discovery was near the border of Odisha and West Bengal State.

Based on preliminary information, the five orangutans are estimated to be 1 to 1.5 years old. All of them were found in good health and have now been placed in Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, for treatment.

The Ministry of Forestry stated that the physical and morphological characteristics of the five animals led to the suspicion that they were orangutans from Sumatra. However, this conclusion is still temporary.

Certainty regarding the type and origins of the five orangutans will be determined through DNA examination by competent scientific authorities.

Allegedly Victim of Illegal Animal Trade

Orangutans are not native to India. The natural habitat of these primates is only found in Indonesia and Malaysia, especially the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan or Borneo.

The appearance of five baby orangutans in India has therefore given rise to strong suspicions of wildlife trade and smuggling activities involving transnational networks.