Balasore district, Odisha, India · Published · PanduanHewan editorial team
Summary
What you need to know
Five baby orangutans found in India on 8 September 2026, in a forest in Odisha's Balasore district, are now in quarantine at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry suspects they are Sumatran orangutans smuggled across borders and, on 10 September 2026, began working with India's CITES authority to bring them home, pending DNA tests.
- Date and place found
- 8 September 2026, Bhogarai/Udaipur block, Jaleswar range, Balasore district, Odisha source ↗
- Number and sex
- 5 infants: 3 males, 2 females source ↗
- Where they are now
- Quarantine at Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar source ↗
- Suspected species
- Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), pending DNA tests source ↗
- Indonesia's response
- Working with India's CITES authority since 10 September 2026 source ↗
- IUCN status
- All three orangutan species Critically Endangered source ↗
How were five baby orangutans found in India?
On the morning of Tuesday 8 September 2026, Odisha forest officers found five baby orangutans in woodland near Bichitrapur, Bhogarai block, Balasore district, near the West Bengal border, after locals reported what they took for monkeys.
The five, three males and two females, are estimated to be between six months and 1.5 years old. They were taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, Odisha's capital, and placed in a temperature-controlled quarantine room. The district forest officer said animals so young could not have reached Odisha naturally and were probably brought by road.
Orangutans are not native to India; they live wild only on Sumatra and Borneo, about 2,000 kilometres away across the Indian Ocean.
Sources: Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ · Odisha STF to dismantle network in orangutan smuggling case ↗ · Indonesia Seeks Repatriation of Rescued Baby Orangutans Found in Odisha ↗ · Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗ · Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗
Were the orangutans smuggled into India?
Trafficking is strongly suspected but not proven. The ministry says the infants' presence in India points to illegal trade by an international network. Orangutans are still sold as exotic pets and to private collectors.
On 11 September 2026, the Odisha Police Special Task Force (STF) registered a case at the request of Odisha's principal chief conservator of forests and is investigating with India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). That day the STF also questioned three people in Digha, West Bengal. Investigators are examining CCTV footage of a black SUV passing near the site on the night of 7 September. The investigation is ongoing, and no one has been found guilty.
An Indonesian group that researches wildlife trafficking believes the infants were captured in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh, and moved through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh; officials have not confirmed this. India found smuggled orangutans near the Assam–Mizoram border in 2022 and in Mizoram in October 2023.
Sources: Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ · Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗ · Odisha orangutan mystery: Case registered, STF questioning 3 people in Bengal's Digha ↗ · Orangutan Conundrum: Odisha STF Detains Three From Digha In West Bengal For Questioning ↗ · Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗
Are the orangutans definitely from Indonesia?
Not yet. Based on physical features, the ministry suspects all five are Sumatran orangutans, but it stresses this is preliminary; the species and genetic origin depend on DNA tests by a competent scientific authority. Odisha forest officials have also said that Indonesia's offer does not by itself prove the animals came from Indonesia.
DNA testing compares the infants' genetic profiles with reference samples from known populations to narrow down where they came from. The zoo took blood samples in mid-September; an official said few laboratories hold the reference profiles needed. On 30 September, Odisha's forest and environment minister said samples for DNA testing would soon be collected and sent for examination, with the results shared with the Indian government.
Their health is reported to be improving after early bouts of fever, worms and anaemia.
Sources: Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ · Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha ↗ · Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗ · Orangutans’ blood collected for DNA testing ↗ · DNA Tests Planned for Orangutans at Nandankanan Zoo ↗ · Two Of Five Baleshwar-Rescued Orangutans Under Treatment At Nandankanan ↗
How does repatriation from India work?
Orangutans are listed in Appendix I of CITES, its highest level of protection, so international commercial trade is banned. On 10 September 2026 the ministry contacted India's CITES Management Authority, both countries' embassies, the research agency BRIN as scientific authority, and the agriculture ministry to speed up repatriation.
Under India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, live CITES-listed animals that were illegally imported may be returned to the country of origin at that country's expense; otherwise they are kept at a recognised zoo or rescue centre. Odisha has also asked India's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for permission to keep the five at Nandankanan; as of 12 September it had not replied.
If they are returned, the ministry says the five will undergo health checks, quarantine, genetic identification, behavioural assessment and rehabilitation before release is considered.
Sources: Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha ↗ · Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗ · Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗
Have smuggled orangutans been brought home before?
Yes. On 23 December 2025 the ministry and the Indonesian embassy in Bangkok brought four orangutans home from Thailand, seized as infants in trafficking cases foiled in January and May 2025. Physical and DNA checks identified three Sumatran orangutans and one Tapanuli orangutan. They flew in IATA-standard crates with a vet and went to a rehabilitation centre in Langkat, North Sumatra.
Not every case ends in a return. Two infant orangutans found near the Assam–Mizoram border in 2022 are still at the Assam State Zoo and are listed in the CZA inventory as Sumatran orangutans. Indonesian conservationists say earlier repatriation attempts often stalled in bureaucracy.
Sources: Kemenhut Repatriasi Empat Orangutan Korban Perdagangan Ilegal dari Thailand (SP. 398/HUMAS/PPIP/HMS.3/12/2025) ↗ · Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha ↗ · Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗
How threatened are Sumatran orangutans, and what does the law say?
All three orangutan species are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 2026 study estimated that 11,694 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild, down 19.5% between 2011 and 2023. Infants nurse until they are six or seven, and conservationists say the trade begins with hunting in the wild and separating infants from their mothers.
The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is listed in the annex to Regulation P.106/2018. Law 5/1990, as amended by Law 32/2024, bans hunting, keeping, trading and taking protected animals out of Indonesia. Since Law 1/2026 on criminal-penalty adjustment took effect on 2 January 2026, individuals who take a protected animal abroad face up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI, and hunting or trading up to 15 years and/or a fine of up to category VII. The ministry says it will take firm action against any Indonesian citizen found to be involved.
Sources: Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗ · Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗ · Orangutan ↗ · Peraturan Menteri LHK Nomor P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas Undang-Undang Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ · UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK) ↗
What happens next
- DNA tests will establish the five orangutans' species and origin, which will shape any repatriation decision.
- Both countries' CITES authorities and India's CZA need to agree on the animals' future, as Odisha also wants to keep them at Nandankanan.
- The Odisha STF and the WCCB are continuing to investigate the smuggling network.
- If returned, the five will go through quarantine, health checks, behavioural assessment and rehabilitation before release is considered.
How to help
- Never buy, accept or bargain for an orangutan, even to 'rescue' it; buyers' demand drives the hunting.
- Do not like or share posts of orangutans kept as pets, and report wildlife sale posts through the platform.
- In Indonesia, report suspected orangutan trade to the forestry law enforcement directorate (Gakkum Kehutanan) or the local BKSDA. Keep evidence, but do not contact the seller.
- Outside Indonesia, report orangutan trade to that country's wildlife or CITES authority.
Support from outside Indonesia
If you live outside Indonesia and want to fund this work, you can support orangutan rehabilitation in East Kalimantan with World Animal Rescue Network.
Related site: PanduanHewan’s founder is also a director of World Animal Rescue Network. PanduanHewan itself does not accept donations, and this invitation is not directed at people in Indonesia.
Common questions
Are there orangutans in India?
There are no wild orangutans in India. They live wild only in Indonesia and Malaysia, on Sumatra and Borneo. Orangutans found in India are believed to have been brought in by people.
How long do baby orangutans stay with their mothers?
Infants can nurse until they are six or seven. From adolescence, at about four or five, they grow increasingly independent, and females may stay with their mothers well into their teens.
Source: Orangutan ↗ · Orangutan ↗ · Orangutan ↗
Why are orangutans smuggled?
Orangutans are traded as exotic pets and for private collectors. The trade starts with hunting and taking infants from their mothers.
Source: Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗
When will the orangutans return to Indonesia?
There is no date yet. It depends on the DNA results, CITES coordination and decisions by Indian authorities. Four orangutans returned from Thailand in December 2025 took months from seizure to homecoming.
Source: Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ · Kemenhut Repatriasi Empat Orangutan Korban Perdagangan Ilegal dari Thailand (SP. 398/HUMAS/PPIP/HMS.3/12/2025) ↗
What is wildlife repatriation?
Repatriation is returning trafficked animals to their country of origin through both countries' CITES authorities. Back in Indonesia, the animals go through quarantine, health checks, genetic identification and rehabilitation.
Source: Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ · Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha ↗
Animals in this story
A great ape of northern Sumatra’s forest canopy. Its future depends on connected forests, regenerating trees, and safe coexistence with people.
An orangutan species described in 2017 from Batang Toru. Its exceptionally restricted range makes protection of remaining forest especially important.
A great ape of Borneo’s forests, including Kalimantan’s peat swamps. Population diversity and connections between habitats are central to its conservation.
Sources and references
- Pemerintah Indonesia Serius Tangani Penemuan Lima Bayi Orangutan di India, Upayakan Repatriasi ke Indonesia (SP. 511/HKLN/09/2026) ↗ — Kementerian Kehutanan, 2026-09-10
- Indonesia Seeks Repatriation of Rescued Baby Orangutans Found in Odisha ↗ — Outlook India, 2026-09-11
- Misteri bayi orang utan di hutan India, diselundupkan dari Indonesia atau Malaysia? ↗ — BBC News Indonesia, 2026-09-10
- Odisha STF to dismantle network in orangutan smuggling case ↗ — The News Mill, 2026-09-09
- Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia ↗ — Mongabay, 2026-09-18
- Odisha orangutan mystery: Case registered, STF questioning 3 people in Bengal's Digha ↗ — OrissaPOST, 2026-09-11
- Orangutan Conundrum: Odisha STF Detains Three From Digha In West Bengal For Questioning ↗ — ETV Bharat, 2026-09-11
- Indonesia Seeks Return Of Five Baby Orangutans Rescued In Odisha ↗ — Outlook Traveller, 2026-09-12
- Orangutans’ blood collected for DNA testing ↗ — The Hans India, 2026-09-17
- DNA Tests Planned for Orangutans at Nandankanan Zoo ↗ — Odisha Connect, 2026-09-30
- Two Of Five Baleshwar-Rescued Orangutans Under Treatment At Nandankanan ↗ — Ommcom News, 2026-09-10
- Kemenhut Repatriasi Empat Orangutan Korban Perdagangan Ilegal dari Thailand (SP. 398/HUMAS/PPIP/HMS.3/12/2025) ↗ — Kementerian Kehutanan, 2025-12-23
- Orangutan ↗ — Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 2026-10-01
- Peraturan Menteri LHK Nomor P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ — JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan, 2018-12-28
- Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas Undang-Undang Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ — JDIH BPK RI, 2024-08-07
- UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK) ↗ — JDIH BPK RI, 2026-01-02
This story was written by the PanduanHewan editorial team from the reports and official sources listed; we do not copy other outlets. Facts may change as the story develops; the update date is shown at the top. Send a correction