Five orangutan infants abandoned near Udayapur-Talsari forest worth 25L each
Five baby orangutans (just six months to a year old) were found abandoned in a casuarina grove near Odisha's Udayapur-Talsari forest on September 8.
Locals spotted the infants and quickly called authorities, who believe these critically endangered apes were being smuggled as part of an international trafficking network.
Each orangutan could fetch roughly ₹25 lakh on the global black market, with the five together valued at over ₹1.25 crore.
Officials conduct DNA origin tests
Investigators think smugglers brought the orangutans from Southeast Asia by sea, but ditched them when they saw increased police checks and coastal surveillance.
The babies were rescued slightly dehydrated but calm, then sent to Nandankanan Zoo for quarantine and care.
Now, officials are using DNA tests to trace their origins and hope to return them home under global wildlife protection rules, all while working hard to catch those behind this illegal trade.