Five Baby Orangutans Found Far From Home Highlight India's Ape Trade

Five baby orangutans, believed to be six to eight months old, were found abandoned on a plantation in Odisha, India, more than 2,700 kilometers from their native habitats in Borneo and Sumatra, and are now being cared for at a zoo. Their discovery highlights India’s growing role as a destination for trafficked apes and other exotic wildlife, with experts saying wealthy collectors seeking rare animals as status symbols are fueling demand. Repeated seizures of orangutans and other primates point to a broader trade, while gaps in India’s rules for imported wildlife make it difficult to trace animals’ origins. The trade threatens already critically endangered orangutans, whose rainforest habitats are also under severe pressure.