Odisha Minister Says Agencies Probing International Links in Orangutan Smuggling Case

Key facts

• Odisha forest and environment minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said the Special Task Force (STF) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) are investigating possible international links in the illegal smuggling of rescued orangutans in the state.
• A joint probe across several states has been initiated to trace the smuggling network, which may take around a month to conclude, while the primary accused within Odisha have been arrested.
• All five rescued orangutans are currently healthy; three of four primates tested positive for anaemia, one severely and two mildly, while results for the other two are pending.
• The orangutans are being given iron supplements along with fruit and vegetable-rich diets, and veterinarians have taken chest, stomach and skull X-rays and collected blood, serum and nasopharyngeal swab samples for tests.
• Dr Indramani Nath, former Project Coordinator at OUAT Wild Animal Medical Centre, said the orangutans were hand-fed with milk bottles from a young age without mothers' milk, causing malnutrition and anaemia.