In a rare and startling discovery, forest personnel in Odisha’s Baleshwar district have spotted five orangutans in the Rankotha protected forest area.
The sighting, reported near Badapahi by a patrol team from the Udaypur forest division on Tuesday morning, has raised eyebrows as orangutans are not native to Indian forests.
Officials immediately formed a special rescue team, which successfully captured all five animals and shifted them to a local hospital for medical examination. Their health is now being closely monitored.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Prem Jha confirmed the recovery, stating that a detailed inquiry will be conducted to trace the origin of the orangutans and the circumstances of their arrival in Rankotha.
Arrangements are underway to house the rescued animals at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, where they will receive specialised care. The Forest Department has also launched an investigation into how the primates reached Odisha, calling the incident “highly unusual.”
