Indonesia seeks to bring back baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India

Indonesian authorities are seeking to bring back five alleged baby orangutans trafficked to India, where they were discovered without their mothers in a forest, according to Jakarta's forestry ministry. The critically endangered animals were spotted by rangers in the Balasore district of eastern India's Odisha state on Tuesday. The ministry is conducting a criminal investigation into the matter.

Local animal welfare groups believe the primates, known for their shaggy red fur, may have been smuggled into India. The five infants, estimated to be about one-and-a-half years old, appeared healthy and are currently being cared for at a zoo in India. DNA tests will be conducted to confirm their origin. Sumatran orangutans are native only to Indonesia's Sumatra island and Borneo, shared with Malaysia and Brunei.

The species is currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 13,500 individuals remaining. Repatriation of the orangutans is a priority for the Indonesian government, which has requested India return the apes.