Bangladesh to Odisha, Then Kolkata ! Major Breakthrough in 5 Orangutan Cubs Case

Bhubaneswar : Is a major international wildlife-smuggling racket hiding behind the rescue of five innocent orangutan cubs in Odisha? The case has taken a dramatic turn after investigators reportedly found important clues pointing towards a possible Bangladesh link in the movement of the five orangutan cubs rescued from Balasore district.

The biggest questions before investigators are still unanswered how did these exotic animals reach the Bichitrapur forest in Bhograi, who brought them there, where were they actually headed, and who was behind the entire operation? According to sources, investigators suspect that the five orangutan cubs may have been brought to India from Bangladesh, where a female orangutan was allegedly being kept for breeding and the cubs may have been sourced from there.

The investigation has also reportedly uncovered a possible transportation route involving Dhamra, Bhadrak, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, raising concerns over a larger wildlife-smuggling network. Sources said the cubs were allegedly brought to India by ship and transported through the Dhamra route to Bhadrak before being taken to Kolkata, where various tests were reportedly carried out.

The next suspected destination was Visakhapatnam, from where the cubs may have been intended to be moved to another state. But one major question has emerged during the investigation if Visakhapatnam was the intended destination, why were the animals not transported directly by water ? Investigators are reportedly examining the possibility that smugglers deliberately chose the road route because travelling through the waterway could have brought them through areas with stronger checking mechanisms, potentially increasing the risk of detection.

According to the information emerging in the investigation, the cubs were allegedly being transported in a black Thar SUV.

However, something reportedly went wrong during the journey, possibly after the people transporting the animals noticed unusual movement or a problem inside the vehicle. It is suspected that the transporters panicked and eventually abandoned the five cubs in a forested area of Balasore. The shocking discovery later triggered a major response from the Forest Department and investigating agencies.

The Odisha STF and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) are now probing the case from multiple angles to determine the origin, transportation route and intended destination of the animals. Investigators are reportedly not treating the case as an isolated incident anymore, with the possibility of a much larger international wildlife-trafficking network now being examined.

The suspected route from Bangladesh to Odisha, then to Kolkata and potentially Visakhapatnam before onward movement to another state has raised several questions about who planned the operation, who financed it, who was supposed to receive the animals and whether similar wildlife consignments had been moved through the same network in the past. The investigation is also focusing on the people involved in the transportation, the vehicle used, the reported testing of the animals in Kolkata and the possible links connecting different locations.

However, these details remain part of an ongoing investigation, and the complete picture will emerge only after the agencies establish the facts and identify those responsible. What makes the case particularly disturbing is that the five young orangutans, who should have been with their mothers in their natural environment, were allegedly moved across borders and through multiple locations before being abandoned in an Odisha forest.

Who brought them to India, who was waiting for them at the other end, and how deep does the alleged international wildlife-smuggling network run ? The answers could reveal a much larger story behind the five orangutan cubs rescued in Odisha.