The investigation into the mysterious appearance of five endangered baby orangutans in Odisha has hit a roadblock, with authorities yet to identify the people allegedly involved in trafficking or determine where the animals came from.
The five infant orangutans were rescued from a casuarina forest in Balasore district days ago. Since then, the Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF), assisted by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and state forest officials, has been trying to trace their route into Odisha.
Investigators have examined footage from more than 55 CCTV cameras and searched over 50 hotels in West Bengal’s Digha. Several people have also been questioned, but officials have so far been unable to establish a clear link to the suspected trafficking network.
The investigation initially focused on a black Mahindra Thar that was reportedly seen near the Bichitrapur forest in Bhograi around 11.25 pm on September 7. The vehicle was spotted hours before the five orangutans were discovered clinging to trees at a nearby plantation close to the West Bengal border.
The trail eventually led investigators to Digha-based hotelier Jayanta Maiti. Officials searched his hotel and found an SUV matching the description of the vehicle under investigation. However, Maiti and his son were reportedly missing when the authorities arrived. CCTV recording equipment from the hotel had also been removed.
Three employees of the hotel were questioned but were later released after investigators found no direct evidence connecting them to the suspected trafficking operation.
Odisha Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra said investigators were proceeding carefully and would not reveal sensitive details that could alert those allegedly involved.
The STF is also analysing mobile tower data, movements around local ports and airports, and forensic evidence collected near the rescue site. Face masks found in the area are among the evidence being examined. Investigators are trying to establish whether the orangutans were brought into Odisha by land or through a sea route.
Meanwhile, the rescued animals are being kept at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. Their health condition has remained stable. The zoo issued a health bulletin after reports suggested that one of the infants had developed a fever, confirming that all five orangutans were doing well.
The animals are being monitored by a five-member technical expert panel. The panel includes veterinary officials from Mysuru Zoo, the National Zoological Park in New Delhi, the Wildlife Institute of India, the Centre for Wildlife Health at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, and the director of Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The mysterious movement of the young orangutans has raised concerns because the species is endangered and not native to India. Authorities are therefore examining the case as a potential wildlife trafficking operation.
For now, however, key questions remain unanswered: who transported the animals, where they originated, and how they reached the Odisha-West Bengal border area. Investigators continue to analyse technical and forensic evidence in an effort to trace the trafficking route and identify those responsible.
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