Illegal Orangutan Trade Spotted in India

The discovery of five baby orangutans in India has highlighted the increasing illegal wildlife trade in the region. These infants, aged six to eight months, were found on a plantation in Odisha, over 2,700km from their native rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra.

India is becoming a significant market in the global illegal wildlife trade, which is estimated to be worth US$34 billion annually. The presence of orangutans in the country indicates a growing illicit trade of apes being trafficked into the region.

Wild orangutans are native only to Borneo and Sumatra, where they play a crucial role in maintaining rainforests by spreading seeds, which helps trees regenerate and store carbon. Conservation groups estimate that there are about 119,500 orangutans left in the wild.