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No Highways, Only Interior Roads! STF Tracks the Orangutan’s Suspected Secret Route
Bhubaneswar, Odisha : An extraordinary wildlife-trafficking mystery has emerged in Odisha, raising one startling question how did an orangutan, a species not native to India, end up in Bhograi? The unusual seizure has now triggered an intensive investigation, with the Special Task Force (STF) and Forest Department stepping up efforts to trace the animal’s origin and uncover the people allegedly involved in its transportation.
A two-member STF team, comprising an ADSP and an Inspector, along with the Forest Department’s DFO, has reached Bichitrapur forest and begun searching the area as investigators attempt to piece together the orangutan’s mysterious journey.
Officials are examining where the animal was brought from, who transported it and whether the seizure is connected to a larger wildlife-trafficking network. According to RCCF Prakash Chandra Gogineni, the investigation indicates that the orangutan may have been transported by road from West Bengal, allegedly avoiding major national highways where checking is stricter and instead using interior village roads that are comparatively less monitored. Authorities are now examining CCTV footage along the suspected route in an effort to identify vehicles and establish the animal’s movements before it reached Bhograi.
The unusual case has also raised questions about the possible involvement of an organised wildlife-trafficking network, although investigators are yet to establish the complete chain of responsibility. The RCCF said the geographical connectivity of northeastern India, which lies close to Myanmar and is linked to eastern India, could potentially make the region significant in tracing such a route.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has also joined the investigation, with two teams reportedly arriving from Bhopal and Kolkata to assist the authorities. Investigators are now focusing on every possible lead from the suspected transportation route and CCTV footage to the source of the animal and the people who may have handled or transported it. The case has attracted considerable attention because the presence of an orangutan in Odisha is highly unusual and raises serious concerns over the illegal movement of exotic wildlife.
As STF, Forest Department and WCCB teams work together, the central mystery remains unanswered: Where did this orangutan come from, how did it cross state borders, and who was behind its journey into Odisha? The investigation is expected to shed more light on the alleged trafficking trail and whether the case has links to a wider wildlife-smuggling network.
