Five abandoned baby orangutans found in a forest in eastern India have sparked an investigation into wildlife trafficking, as officials discovered the animals far from their native region in Southeast Asia.

According to local reports, the young orangutans were located on Tuesday within a casuarina forest near Balasore in Odisha. Wildlife authorities and forest officials are currently investigating how these animals ended up in the area and whether they were illegally smuggled into India.

This incident is particularly unusual since orangutans are indigenous to Indonesia and Malaysia, and there is no record of them living in the wild in India. While the investigation continues, authorities suspect that the animals could be linked to an international wildlife trafficking network.

The rescued orangutans have undergone medical examinations and are now being held in a secure facility for observation. Teams from the state forest department, the Special Task Force, and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are working together to trace the origins of the animals and identify those responsible for bringing them to Odisha.

Officials are also searching for evidence regarding how the orangutans were transported to the forest and subsequently released. No arrests had been reported as of Wednesday.