Orangutans — critically endangered, native to Southeast Asia — were fo

@aspirantai_official

#IndiaWildlife#Conservation

Orangutans — critically endangered, native to Southeast Asia — were found in a forest in Odisha.

They don’t belong here. At all. Five baby orangutans, aged 1–2 years, were spotted in Balasore’s Ranakotha forest during a routine patrol. No, they weren’t lost tourists. No, they weren’t escapees from a zoo. They were likely smuggled; possibly by an international wildlife trafficking ring. An orangutan can fetch up to ₹25 lakh on the black market. They’re sold as exotic pets, circus acts, or status symbols for private collectors. And Odisha’s forest officials are now scrambling to figure out how; and why; they ended up in an Indian forest. The animals are being moved to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for quarantine. Meanwhile, police are involved. A senior forest officer has been assigned to investigate. Wildlife trafficking isn’t just about animals; it’s about money, networks, and loopholes. This isn’t just a local crime. It’s a red flag. If traffickers can drop endangered apes in coastal Odisha, what else are they moving? And which routes are they using? The biggest question: How many more aren’t being found? #WildlifeTrafficking #OrangutansInOdisha #Conservation #IndiaWildlife #EndangeredSpecies