Three persons detained in connection with rescue of orangutans in Odisha

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In this screengrab from a video received on Sept. 10, 2026, a baby orangutan, who was recently rescued with four others from Balasore district, plays with soft toys in a quarantine cell at the Nandankanan Zoological Park, in Khordha district, Odisha. | Photo Credit: PTI

Three persons have been detained by Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police from a West Bengal’s Digha hotel in connection with rescue of five young orangutans in Balasore district. A formal case has also been registered by STF.

The detention of three persons followed examination of footages of CCTV cameras which had captured movement of a black SUV closer to the spot where orangutans were left abandoned on September 7.

The STF has detained three people on suspicion and they were being questioned, said Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra. The police refused to share details of investigations as it could compromise the probe.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had on Thursday directed to find the circumstances under which the orangutans landed in Balasore district. The STF team had spoken to villagers and field level forest staff about mysterious spotting of orangutans.

According to Odisha Police, the detection of three persons was made in coordination with the West Bengal Police. Mr. Mishra said visible progress on the investigation was expected within seven to eight days.

Meanwhile, Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa, an environmental pressure group, said the young orangutans should be returned to their original habitats.

“Indonesia has officially requested India to return five rescued infant orangutans if its investigations reveal that the animals originated in the Southeast Asian country,” said Mr. Mohanty.

“On September 10, Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry wrote to the Indian CITES Management Authority offering help for the process of repatriation to ensure the speedy return of five infant orangutans after DNA tests reveal the source,” he pointed out.

“Preliminary investigations and physical assessments strongly indicate that these critically endangered primates are victims of international wildlife trafficking, brought illegally into India to feed the expanding underground trade in exotic pets,” Mr. Mohanty said.

He urged  Director General of Forests to ensure these young apes are repatriated to their range state (Indonesia or Malaysia) at the earliest.

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