Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 11, 2026 at 03:28 AM

Indonesia seeks to repatriate smuggled baby orangutans from India

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Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry is working to expedite the repatriation of five baby orangutans found in India, who are suspected to be victims of transnational wildlife trafficking.

Head of the ministry’s Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation Bureau Ristianto Pribadi said the government had been coordinating with relevant authorities since the infants were found in a forest in Balasore District, Odisha State, on Tuesday (September 8).

“Based on preliminary observations of their physical characteristics, the five animals are suspected to be Sumatran orangutans,” Pribadi said in a statement received here on Friday.

He emphasized that the identification remains preliminary. Scientific authorities will conduct DNA testing to definitively determine the species and genetic origins of the animals, he added.

According to initial reports, the orangutans are estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 years old and are in good health. They have since been relocated to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for proper care.

Because orangutans are endemic to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, also known as Kalimantan in Indonesia, their presence in India strongly suggests that they were smuggled through an international wildlife trafficking network.

To facilitate their return, the ministry is coordinating with India’s CITES Management Authority, diplomatic missions in Jakarta and New Delhi, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Ministry of Agriculture.

The coordination is intended to ensure that all procedures comply with Indonesian laws and international provisions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Several local conservation groups, including the Leuser Ecosystem Foundation (YEL), the Indonesian Wildlife Network (JSI), the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP), and the Indonesian Orangutan Forum (FORINA), have pledged to assist the government with the repatriation.

Upon their return to Indonesia, the infants will undergo standard conservation procedures, including health screenings, quarantine, and behavioral assessments. If deemed fit, they will enter a rehabilitation program aimed at eventually releasing them back into the wild.

The case underscores the need for robust international cooperation to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The Indonesian government reaffirmed its commitment to working with global partners, law enforcement agencies, and conservation organizations to curb transnational wildlife smuggling and protect its endemic species.

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