Balasore: The rescue of five young orangutans from a casuarina forest in Odisha’s Balasore district has raised serious questions, with locals claiming that a black SUV was seen in the area the night before the exotic animals were found.

The five baby orangutans were rescued by forest personnel on Tuesday from the Bichitrapur casuarina forest near Badapai village under the Talsari marine police station limits.

According to locals, a black SUV was seen moving through the area late on Monday night. CCTV footage obtained from the locality reportedly shows the vehicle passing through the area at around 11.25 pm and returning at around 11.40 pm.

The footage is now being examined as part of the investigation into how the orangutans reached the forest. The movement of the vehicle has raised suspicion among locals, who want authorities to establish who brought the animals to the area and for what purpose.

The development has also led to allegations from some locals that forest department personnel may have information about the incident or could be linked to it. They have demanded a high-level investigation to establish the facts.

Authorities are expected to verify the vehicle’s identity and movements before drawing any conclusions.

The presence of orangutans in Odisha has itself raised major questions, as the species is not native to the state. Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said an investigation has been launched to determine how the animals reached the state and whether an international wildlife smuggling network was involved.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been informed about the recovery and is likely to investigate the matter.

Following their rescue, the five young orangutans were shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. Officials said the infants will be hand-reared at the zoo’s Centre for Rearing Animal Babies.