No concrete proof yet from Indonesia for claim over rescued orangutans: Odisha minister

BHUBANESWAR: Neither Indonesia nor any other country has so far provided documentary evidence to establish ownership of five baby orangutans rescued from a forest in Odisha two months ago, state Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, Khuntia said all five orangutans were doing well, and expressed the state's desire to retain them at Nandankanan Zoological Park.

"All five baby orangutans are doing well and growing. No one should disturb them. We want them to stay in Odisha, and visitors will get an opportunity to see them at Nandankanan Zoo," he said.

The minister said some countries might stake a claim to the animals under international wildlife trade regulations, but they would have to furnish concrete evidence to establish that the rescued animals originated from their territory.

"The Indonesian government has raised its claim as a routine matter. We will seek evidence to establish that the orangutans originated from their country. If they provide the proof, the animals may be handed over to them," Khuntia said.

He added that the state government had submitted details of the rescued animals to the Centre for necessary action.

"Odisha has a conducive environment for orangutans. So, we want them to stay here," he said.

The five baby orangutans were rescued from Bichitrapur forest in Balasore district on September 8 and subsequently shifted to Nandankanan Zoo, where they have been kept in quarantine.

Officials said the animals were housed in a temperature-controlled room and were gradually acclimatising to the local environment.

The state government has made arrangements for their comfort and to help them overcome stress. The animals have displayed a range of emotions, from playful behaviour and brief mood swings to anxiously clinging to one another, they said.

Nandankanan Zoo already has a special enclosure for orangutans, which has remained vacant since the death of a 41-year-old female orangutan in 2019. The animal had been brought from a Pune zoo in 2003, they added.

A joint investigation by the Odisha Police's Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is underway to ascertain how the orangutans reached Balasore.

Investigators are also probing the possible involvement of an international wildlife trafficking network.