Digital Desk, Lucknow. The case of five baby orangutans found in the forest of Balasore district of Odisha has now reached the international level. The Indonesian government has started an initiative to bring the five back to their country i.e. repatriation. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry has said that it is not possible for orangutans to be found naturally in India. In such a situation, the meeting of five baby orangutans together raises strong fears of illegal wildlife trade and international trafficking. However, the matter of bringing them to India through smuggling is still a matter of investigation. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry said in an official statement issued on September 10 that it is coordinating with relevant authorities in India. The aim of this coordination is to try to identify the five orangutans, confirm their place of origin and bring them back to Indonesia under due process.
All five were found in the forest of Balasore on September 8.
The five orangutans were found on September 8 in a forest block located in Jaleshwar area of Bhograi/Udaipur area of Balasore district of Odisha. This area is close to the border of West Bengal. After saving them safely, the local forest department took them to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they are currently being cared for and monitored. According to the Forestry Ministry of Indonesia, according to preliminary information, the age of the five is between one and one and a half years and they were found in healthy condition. All five are currently kept in Nandankanan.
Initial suspicion of Sumatra being
Indonesia's Forestry Ministry has said that preliminary physical and morphological inspection of the five has revealed the possibility of them being orangutans found in Sumatra. However, the Ministry has clarified that this is still a preliminary identification and cannot be considered final. Their species and genetic origin will be confirmed through DNA testing by authorized scientific institutions. Indian officials had also prepared to start the process of taking samples for DNA profiling, but in view of the stress of the five in Nandankanan and the process of getting used to the new environment, the sampling has been postponed for some time.
5 orangutans found in Balasore, Odisha
Orangutans are not found naturally in India.
Orangutans are not native wildlife to India. Their natural habitat is in Indonesia and Malaysia, especially in Sumatra and Borneo. This is the reason why the finding of the five in the forest of Balasore remains a serious question for the investigating agencies. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry has said the presence of five baby orangutans in India raises strong concerns that they may be victims of illegal wildlife trade and cross-border smuggling. However, the Ministry has also said that the investigation will continue to find out their origin and the network related to the case.
Odisha Police and WCCB are investigating
After the discovery of the five orangutans, the Special Task Force of Odisha Police and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are also investigating the matter. The main question of investigation is how did these wildlife reach India and who brought them to the Balasore forest. Along with gathering information at the local level, Indian agencies are also investigating the angle of possible wildlife trafficking network in this case.
Indonesia started coordination with India
Indonesia's Forestry Ministry said it has initiated coordination with relevant agencies, including the Indian CITES management authority, the Indian and Indonesian embassies in New Delhi, India's scientific body BRIN and the Ministry of Agriculture. According to the ministry, the process of bringing back the five will be carried out under national laws and the provisions of CITES related to international trade in wildlife. Indonesia has also contacted its partner organizations involved in wildlife conservation. These include Yayasan Ecosystem Lestari, Jaringan Satwa Indonesia, Center for Orangutan Protection and Forum Orangutan Indonesia. These organizations have expressed readiness to cooperate in the care and rehabilitation of the five orangutans after their repatriation.
If returned there will be health checkup and rehabilitation
According to Indonesia, if the process of bringing back the five orangutans is completed, their health will be examined, quarantined, genetic identification and behavioral assessment will be done. After this, the rehabilitation process will be adopted as per their need and condition. If they meet the required standards, they can also be put through the rehabilitation process towards being released into their natural habitat.
Currently under surveillance in Nandankanan
At present, all five are in quarantine and medical observation at Nandankanan Zoological Park. The Odisha government has sought permission from the Central Zoo Authority to keep them in Nandankanan. At the same time, contact is being made with India from Indonesia's side for their return. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry has said the safety and welfare of the five is a top priority. Also, efforts will continue to investigate the matter to find out their place of origin and possible illegal wildlife trade network.
These characteristics make Orangutan special
Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) reports that there are three recognized species of orangutan in the world, Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli. Their name means man of the forest. The name 'Orangutan' is made from two words of Malay language. 'Orang' means human and 'Hutan' means forest. Deforestation, habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade are major threats to the orangutan. All three species are facing serious conservation challenges. Under favorable conditions, orangutans can live for about 60 years. Healthy orangutans in conservation centers can live longer than this. The weight of a large male orangutan can reach about 136 kg. Orangutans spend most of their time in trees. Their long arms help them reach high branches and move between trees.
To save 5 Orangutans found in Odisha, Odisha government is taking care of them in Nandankanan Zoological Park.
Very strong grip, fond of eating more than 300 types of fruits
Orangutans are highly intelligent orangutans with many behavioral similarities to humans. The deep bond between mother and child and their special ability to live on trees distinguish them from other orangutans. The structure of their hands and feet is such that they can hold the branches firmly. Big toes also help in gripping. Deep bond with mother: An orangutan child is extremely dependent on its mother in its initial years. He roams the trees with his mother and learns to gather food. Orangutans can eat more than 300 types of fruits. Apart from this, leaves, seeds, bark and other plant materials are also part of their food. Adult male orangutans may develop large cheek-pads on either side of their faces as they age. These are a major part of his identity.
Extremely powerful due to strong arms and grip
Due to their strong arms and grip, orangutans can hang from branches for long periods of time and gather food high in the trees. The female orangutan usually cares for one baby at a time. Children stay with the mother for a long time. Adult male orangutans usually live alone, while female orangutans live with their young. The OFI report states that India is not the natural habitat of the orangutan. The Bornean orangutan is found in Borneo and the Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans are found in the Sumatra region of Indonesia.