Trafficking of wildlife is big business 5 baby orangutans found in India are center of a major investigation: how did the critically endangered wild orangutans get to India from Indonesia

Update:      (How it all started under this article)

Indonesia is working to bring five young orangutans discovered in Odisha, India, home as authorities investigate the suspected wildlife-trafficking network behind the operation.

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, the orangutans were discovered on September 8 in a forested area of Bhogarai/Udaipur in Jaleswar, Balasore District, near Odisha’s border with West Bengal. Initial information provided to the Ministry indicates that the five young orangutans are approximately 1 to 1.5 years old. They are now being cared for at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. https://www.nandankanan.org/ 

Preliminary observations suggest the orangutans may have originated from Sumatra. However, DNA testing is still needed to determine which species of orangutan they are and where they came from.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry is coordinating with India’s CITES Management Authority, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, Indonesia’s scientific authority, and other government agencies as it works to verify the orangutans’ origins and pursue their possible return to Indonesia. The Ministry says the process must comply with both national law and international CITES requirements.

If the orangutans are returned to Indonesia, they would undergo health examinations, quarantine, genetic identification, behavioral assessments, and rehabilitation tailored to the needs of each individual. If they later meet the necessary criteria, they could be considered for eventual release back into their natural habitat.

The Ministry said protecting the five orangutans remains a priority as authorities continue working to uncover the trafficking network involved.

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Five young orangutans found in Odisha, India, are now at the center of a major investigation into suspected illegal wildlife trafficking.

The orangutans were discovered Tuesday morning near Badapai village in Odisha’s Balasore district. Residents reportedly noticed them in the trees and contacted forest officials, who then brought all five into their care.

Orangutans are native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and are not found in the wild in India. All three species are Critically Endangered, making the discovery especially concerning.

Authorities are now trying to establish where the animals originated, how they reached Odisha, and whether they were being moved as part of a larger illegal wildlife trafficking network.

The discovery comes as wild orangutans continue to face growing threats across their remaining habitat in Indonesia.

Forest and land fires are currently devastating parts of Indonesia, placing even greater pressure on orangutan habitat already destroyed and fragmented by agricultural development and palm oil expansion.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, has warned of continued fire risk during the current dry period. On September 2, officials recorded 463 high-confidence hotspots in Kalimantan and 264 in Sumatra, both regions where wild orangutans live.

On August 30, an adult male orangutan named Sempurna was found severely weakened and struggling to breathe in a dry ditch inside a community palm oil plantation while the nearby forest was burning. Indonesian wildlife authorities suspected smoke exposure had affected him. Despite rescuers’ best efforts to save him, Sempurna tragically died.

Orangutans are protected under Appendix I of CITES, which provides the convention’s highest level of international trade protection for species threatened with extinction.

There is currently no evidence linking Indonesia’s forest fires to the five orangutans found in India.

As the investigation continues, authorities will be working to identify where the animals came from, how they were transported, and whether other individuals or a wider trafficking network were involved.

World Animal News will continue following this developing story and share updates as additional information is confirmed by wildlife authorities.

www.worldanimalnews.org

In the first 6 months of this year,195 rhinos were killed by poachers: Rhino horn trafficking is linked to money laundering, corruption, and violent organized crime.

 https://www.ifaw.org/journal/rhino-faq  Detailed information about the rhino

Dogs are being trained to find the poachers K9 projects 

South Africa’s Environmental Minister, Dr. Dion George, has announced rhino poaching figures for the first half of 2025. This marks the first high-level report of its kind under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

A rhino

Between January 1 and June 30, 195 rhinos were killed by poachers, 35 fewer than during the same period in 2024. While this decline is encouraging, the scale of the problem remains critical. The announcement coincided with the launch of a new government initiative, Rhino Renaissance, which aims to restore Kruger National Park’s rhino population to 12,000 within the next decade.

June recorded the fewest rhinos killed this year, with 22 lost across the country. Still, Kruger National Park remains the hardest hit. Half of those June losses happened in the park, although poaching numbers there have steadily declined, from 17 rhinos in January, and 30 in February, to 11 in both May and June. Could this be an inside job?

K9 projects to train dogs

As part of the Rhino Renaissance initiative, the South African government has pledged to train and deploy 90 dedicated Rhino Monitors each year in Kruger National Park. While this is a promising step in the right direction, the numbers still reflect a disturbing reality: rhino poaching continues almost daily.

White rhinos were once nearly extinct, with their numbers dropping below 100 in the early 1900s. Thankfully, South Africa turned the tide with bold conservation measures, protected areas, community efforts, and ranger-led protection. By 2010, more than 20,000 white rhinos roamed the country.

Kruger National Park became a conservation triumph, with over 12,000 rhinos, more than anywhere else in the world. Sadly, that momentum has reversed. As of 2024, South Africa’s white rhino population has dropped to 14,389. In Kruger, just over 2,000 remain.

The decline in rhino populations is primarily due to poaching, fueled by international criminal syndicates, greed, and the illegal rhino horn trade. Additionally, drought and shifting climates have had an impact on rhinos. Improved monitoring can provide a more accurate count of the species.

This crisis extends far beyond conservation; it impacts national security, economic stability, and the rule of law. Rhino horn trafficking is linked to money laundering, corruption, and violent organized crime.

“Bringing rhino conservation to the global stage through the G20 is a powerful move by South Africa’s leadership and a necessary one. Political backing and international focus are key to shifting the tide for rhino populations that have been pushed to the edge. The launch of the ‘Rhino Renaissance’ initiative is encouraging, especially the plan to deploy 90 new Rhino Monitors in Kruger each year. That kind of investment in boots-on-the-ground protection matters.

“But let’s be honest, 195 rhinos lost in six months is still devastating. That’s more than one rhino killed every single day. We can’t allow those numbers to feel like ‘less bad’ is good enough. Yes, some ranger teams are operating as strongholds, but far too many are still stretched thin, underfunded, and fighting this war without the tools they need. At the same time, we’re seeing too many court cases stall or fall flat, allowing traffickers and syndicates to slip through the cracks.

“Rhino conservation can’t rest on one plan or one country. It has to be a long-term, multi-pronged, international effort—driven by real funding, solid prosecution, regional cooperation, and daily commitment in the field. The drop in numbers is progress, but we’ve got a long way to go. Progress isn’t victory. Not yet,” Mike Veale, CEO and Founder of Global Conservation Force (GCF), told WAN.

We must continue to fight for these magnificent species before it’s too late!