Five baby orangutans have been found in a forest in India’s Odisha, thousands of miles from their natural habitat in Southeast Asia.

The discovery has led Indian authorities to investigate how the critically endangered apes ended up in the Bichitrapur forest area in Bhograi block of Odisha’s Balasore district.

Several videos that surfaced online show the orangutans huddled together on the forest floor and eating bananas.

The Odisha government has urged the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to investigate the incident.

Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said a forest patrol team rescued the five orangutans yesterday (8 September).

“These animals are not found in India and are mostly seen in rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. We suspect that they might have been released in the Balasore district forest, which borders West Bengal, by an international wildlife smuggling racket,” the minister said.

He also said each of the orangutans could fetch Rs20-25 lakh in the international market.

Singhkhuntia said the animals may have been brought to Odisha by air, water or rail routes.

“We have urged the WCCB to probe the incident and asked the airport, railway stations and ports to verify their CCTV cameras as the animals might have been brought through their transportation facilities,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, senior forest department officials are ensuring that the animals remain safe.

A team of veterinary doctors from Simlipal National Park is monitoring their health.

Balasore District Forest Officer Pratik Praksh Indalkar told PTI that the animals are healthy and taking food.

“We are conducting a detailed inquiry into where these animals have come from and when they have reached here. However, at present our focus is to keep them safe and healthy,” Indalkar said.

“They are calm and not harming anyone or getting irritated by human presence,” a senior forest official said.

As a large number of curious people rushed to see the apes, the authorities urged them to maintain a safe distance and avoid disturbing the orangutans.