Indonesia seeks to bring back baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India

Indonesian authorities are seeking to repatriate five baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India, where they were found motherless in a forest, according to Jakarta's forestry ministry. The critically endangered animals, whose shaggy red fur is characteristic of the Sumatran orangutan species, were discovered by rangers patrolling in India's eastern Odisha state on Tuesday.

Authorities believe the young primates were trafficked into India, prompting a criminal investigation. The infants, estimated to be around one-and-a-half years old, are currently being cared for at a zoo following their rescue. DNA tests will be conducted to confirm their origin. Sumatran orangutans, listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have a population size of just over 13,500, with the last estimate taken in 2016.

The Indonesian government has requested India return the apes, with the forestry ministry engaging in communication through the Indian embassy in Jakarta. Conservation NGOs are also supporting the rehabilitation efforts.