Seized from Thane two years ago, infant orangutan set to return to Indonesia

The male orangutan was seized from an apartment in Dombivli, Thane along with other wildlife species. (Photo: Special arrangement)

Seized from an apartment in Dombivli by a Thane forest division team in November 2024, a male orangutan, believed to be around 3 years old, will soon be repatriated to Indonesia, Indian and Indonesian officials have told The Indian Express.

The orangutan, currently housed in the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) at Vantara in Jamnagar district of Gujarat, was seized by the Thane forest division along with nine other wildlife species suspected to be part of a consignment of illegally trafficked animals.

Indonesian authorities and people aware of the matter in India said relevant permits and approvals, especially from India, have already been issued with a few formalities pending on the Indonesian side, and the repatriation is likely to happen in the coming days.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia have confirmed that the repatriation process is in an advanced stage.

“Regarding Maharashtra Orangutan, necessary permission is being given and it is expected that the animal is to go back to Indonesia in days to come. Both the Indian agencies and Indonesian agencies are in touch and doing the needful,” an MoEFCC official said in response to a query by The Indian Express.

Post seizure, the primate was initially sent to the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park, Nagpur. Later, it was transferred to the GZRRC in March 2025, on the order of a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee (HPC), headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Verma, according to official records.

Maharashtra’s then Chief Wildlife Warden, M Srinivasa Rao, had directed the Gorewada Zoo on March 1, 2025, to transfer the animal to GZRCC for proper rehabilitation until its final repatriation. This directive cited the HPC’s view that keeping the orangutan in a local zoo might not be suitable, according to the records.

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A repatriation process, in coordination with Indonesia, was already underway in 2025 when the HPC ordered the primate’s transfer. Indonesia had issued an import permit, the records showed.

The HPC was tasked in 2023 to deal with welfare of wild animals, including, among other, procurement or welfare of wild animals by any rescue or rehabilitation centre or zoo and recommend transfer of ownership of captive animals or of seized wild animals.

Under the CITES international treaty — Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — which regulates cross-border trade in animals and plants, orangutans are listed under Appendix-I, restricting their trade strictly to purposes such as research, transfers between recognised zoos and for breeding projects.

The treaty encourages repatriation, if it is feasible, and India’s Wildlife Protection Act too mandates the same after consultation with the likely country of origin or export.

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On the orangutan seized in Thane in 2024, Ristianto Pribadi, Director of the Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation, Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, said preparations for the animal’s repatriation have advanced through continued cooperation between Indonesian and Indian authorities.

“The Indian authorities have shared relevant permits and approvals issued by their competent authorities for this orangutan’s repatriation. Indonesia is completing the required import and entry documentation in coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies. Both sides continue to coordinate the transfer arrangements to ensure that all applicable requirements are fulfilled and that the animal can travel safely and receive appropriate care upon arrival,” Pribadi said.

The GZRRC did not respond to queries from The Indian Express.

An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More