BHUBANESWAR — The Odisha state government has formally expressed its desire to permanently house five rescued baby orangutans at the Nandankanan Zoological Park, clarifying that no foreign country has yet produced the concrete documentary evidence required to claim international ownership.
The five primates—estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 years old—were rescued two months ago during a routine forest patrol in the Bichitrapur forest area of Balasore district. Their unusual appearance in an Indian forest sparked a major joint investigation by the Odisha Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) into a suspected international wildlife trafficking network
State Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia addressed reporters on Sunday, stating that the infants are healthy, growing well, and adjusting to their new surroundings
“We want them to stay in Odisha, and visitors will get an opportunity to see them at Nandankanan Zoo,” Minister Khuntia said. He noted that while the Indonesian government has raised an ownership query as a routine procedure, any potential repatriation will strictly hinge on verified international documentation proving the animals originated from their territory. An expert delegation from Indonesia is expected to visit India later this month to examine the primates, at which point the Government of India will formally review their evidence
he state government has already updated the Central authorities regarding the primates. Should the animals remain in Bhubaneswar, they will fill a long-standing vacancy at Nandankanan’s specialized orangutan enclosure, which has been empty since the zoo’s last remaining 41-year-old female orangutan passed away in 2019.
