55 CCTV cameras checked, black SUV key to Odisha orangutan probe
Police have also recovered face masks from a black polythene bag in the area and suspect they may have been used by those who released the orangutans in the forest
The Odisha Police's Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) have ramped up their investigation into the rescue of five baby orangutans from a forest in the Balasore district. Authorities suspect an international wildlife trafficking network may be responsible for the animals' presence in the state. The forest department rescued the orangutans from the Bichitrapur forest under Bhograi block early on September 8.
Investigators are now concentrating on a black SUV allegedly spotted near Badapahi village in the area on September 7. The STF has reviewed 55 CCTV camera feeds from Bhograi and the nearby Digha in West Bengal, but have yet to uncover any significant leads. The SUV's black color and model have made its identification difficult, as only the upper portion of the vehicle was captured on camera.
If the orangutans were indeed trafficked from abroad, the STF believes the perpetrators may have used waterways, such as ships or fishing trawlers, to transport the animals. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has asked forest and police officials to swiftly resolve the alleged trafficking network and prevent Odisha from becoming a transit point for wildlife trafficking.
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