On Camera, Black Thar Seen In Area Where Orangutans Were Found - NDTV

**On Camera, Black Thar Seen in Area Where Orangutans Were Found – NDTV**

*Balasore, Odisha* – A surveillance video obtained by NDTV shows a black Mahindra Thar navigating a narrow forest track in the Balasore district on the same day that five infant orangutans were rescued from a dense stretch of the district’s reserve forest. The footage, captured by a forest‑department camera trap, places the vehicle within a few hundred metres of the exact spot where wildlife officials later discovered the primates, prompting investigators to treat the sighting as a possible link to an illegal wildlife‑trafficking operation.

The rescued orangutans, which were found huddled in a makeshift enclosure near a riverbank, are believed to have spent some time in human captivity before being rescued, officials with the Odisha Forest Department told *Down To Earth*. Veterinary teams reported that the babies, estimated to be between six and twelve months old, displayed signs of malnutrition and mild injuries, consistent with transport stress. The animals were immediately transferred to a specialized rehabilitation center in Bhubaneswar, where they are undergoing medical treatment and behavioral assessment before any potential re‑introduction into the wild. The state’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has opened a formal inquiry, and a senior forest officer said the black Thar, which was recorded on the same day, could be “a critical piece of evidence” in tracing the network behind the smuggling.

Illegal trafficking of orangutans, primarily from the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, remains a lucrative global black market, with each animal fetching up to ₹1 crore (≈ $120,000) as reported by *The Times of India*. The Odisha case underscores the transnational nature of the crime, as the rescued primates appear to have been part of a broader syndicate that uses remote Indian forests as temporary holding sites before moving the animals abroad. Authorities are now combing through the Thar’s registration details, reviewing additional camera‑trap footage, and coordinating with the Central Bureau of Investigation’s wildlife cell to identify the vehicle’s owners and any associated handlers. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have appealed to the public for any information that could help dismantle the smuggling ring.

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