Odisha CM Orders Probe Into Rescue of Five Baby Orangutans in Balasore
Meanwhile, the Special Task Force (STF) continued its investigation into the suspected trafficking of the orangutans, with two teams conducting searches in the Balasore-Digha area.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday ordered a detailed probe into the rescue of five baby orangutans in Balasore, directing authorities to ascertain how the rare primates reached the State and identify those involved in their transportation.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said Majhi, who is currently in Dubai on an official visit, directed the authorities to trace the route through which the orangutans entered Odisha, identify the people involved and determine the purpose for which they were being brought to the State.
Majhi said Odisha should not be allowed to become a transit route for illegal transportation of exotic wildlife and directed strict legal action against those responsible if the involvement of any organised trafficking network is established.
Meanwhile, the Special Task Force (STF) continued its investigation into the suspected trafficking of the orangutans, with two teams conducting searches in the Balasore-Digha area.
Investigators suspect that the primates may have entered Odisha through the land route via Bhograi in Balasore district.
The STF is also examining possible links with two earlier cases involving orangutans reported in Manipur and Maharashtra. In one of the Manipur cases, a wildlife trafficker was arrested after investigators found that an orangutan had allegedly been brought into India from Myanmar.
The Chief Minister directed the state authorities to coordinate with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), central agencies and other enforcement authorities in the investigation.
He also ordered that the rescued animals be provided proper medical care, protection and rehabilitation support during the course of the investigation.