Indonesia seeks to bring back baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India

Indonesian authorities are seeking to repatriate five allegedly trafficked baby orangutans found motherless in India's Balasore district, according to the country's forestry ministry. The critically endangered Sumatran orangutans, estimated to be around one-and-a-half years old, were found last Tuesday and appear to be healthy. The ministry confirmed the apes are of Sumatran origin and DNA tests will be conducted to verify their native region.

Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with only about 13,500 individuals left in the wild as of 2016. The Indonesian government has requested India return the apes, and the ministry is communicating with the Indian government and conservation organizations to facilitate the process.