Odisha News Today

Bhubaneswar, Sep 10 : The Special Task Force (STF) in Odisha is examining previous cases involving orangutan seizures in India as investigators try to determine whether they have any link with the suspected smuggling of five orangutans rescued from Baleshwar’s Bhograi area, a source said on Thursday. Investigators are studying cases reported in Assam, Mizoram and Maharashtra while also examining the possible route through which the animals reached Odisha. The probe has gained significance as orangutans are not native to India. Their presence in Bhograi has prompted investigators to examine the possibility of an organised wildlife trafficking network operating across state or international borders. Three Previous Cases Under Scanner The STF is examining a 2022 case in Assam in which two baby orangutans were found abandoned at a checkpoint in the Lailapur area along the Cachar district border. Officials had suspected that the animals were smuggled through Myanmar. On October 11, 2023, Customs officials in Mizoram intercepted another young orangutan, raising concerns over possible cross-border trafficking routes involving Southeast Asia and neighbouring countries. In November 2024, Maharashtra Forest Department officials rescued an endangered orangutan in Thane along with exotic reptiles, including ball pythons and an iguana. The orangutan was suspected to have been brought from Indonesia. The Odisha STF is studying the three cases to determine whether there are common links involving traffickers, routes, handlers or networks. Black Thar Emerges As Key Lead A black Mahindra Thar SUV spotted in the Bhograi area has emerged as another key lead in the investigation. The five orangutans were found by villagers clinging to trees in a casuarina forest in the Bichitrapur area of Bhograi block on Tuesday morning. Forest officials rescued them and shifted them to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar later that night. According to information gathered by police, a black Thar was seen moving through the area on Monday night, a day before the orangutans were discovered. Locals noticed the vehicle returning around 10 minutes after it had left. CCTV footage from the area has also captured the movement of a vehicle matching its description. STF teams are examining the footage and gathering local information to identify the vehicle and its owner and establish whether it had any role in transporting the orangutans. Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from railway stations, airports and ports to trace a possible route into Odisha. The possibility of waterways being used is also being explored, with authorities seeking assistance from the Indian Coast Guard. Also Read : Orangutans Rescued In Odisha's Baleshwar To Undergo Blood, DNA Tests DNA Tests May Provide Further Clues Meanwhile, blood, sickle-cell and DNA samples of the five rescued orangutans are being collected on the advice of the Centre for Wildlife Health Committee under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). The samples are to be sent to laboratories to determine whether the animals have any infections and establish their actual age and breed. DNA testing may also help determine whether the five orangutans are from the same mother or belong to different maternal lineages. Sickle-cell samples were collected on Wednesday. Officials have also found worms in the animals, and treatment is being administered. The five orangutans -- three males and two females, including a very young infant -- remain in quarantine at Nandankanan under veterinary supervision. They are being kept together as they appear closely bonded. Authorities are also seeking permission from the Central Zoo Authority to retain the animals at Nandankanan, which has an orangutan enclosure that has remained vacant since 2019.

Riyadh, Sep 10: Saudi Arabia faced renewed cross ‑ border hostilities on Wednesday as the Houthi group launched ballistic missile and drone strikes against several southern cities, intensifying a confrontation that has already unsettled the region. The Saudi ‑ led coalition confirmed the attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al ‑ Maliki, in a statement on social media platform X, accused the Houthis of persisting in assaults on “the kingdom’s national assets and infrastructure,” calling the strikes part of the group’s “extremist approach toward escalation and the targeting of civilians in Saudi Arabia.” Also read: IRGC Navy Hits Six Vessels, Including 3 US-Linked Vessels He stressed that the coalition’s Joint Forces Command would act to safeguard Saudi sovereignty, civilians and civilian facilities. The attacks came amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Earlier the same day, the Houthis claimed dozens of “Saudi airstrikes” had struck areas under their control over the past 12 hours. The exchanges coincide with intensified fighting inside Yemen, where government forces and the Houthis are clashing across multiple fronts, particularly in western regions. The renewed violence threatens to unravel several years of relative calm on Yemen’s major battle lines following a UN ‑ brokered truce that began in April 2022. On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned the cross ‑ border Houthi attacks against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia, which damaged civilian and energy infrastructure. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the world body was “ deeply concerned ” over reports of civilian casualties. He added that the UN was equally troubled by intensifying clashes across Yemen and “reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from the fighting.” UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues direct engagement with the parties to contain the escalation and preserve space for dialogue. “Continued military escalation risks devastating political, economic and security ramifications for Yemen. The parties should engage constructively with UN ‑ led political efforts, ” Dujarric said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the surge in fighting is devastating communities already struggling after more than a decade of conflict. Since Thursday, more than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz and southern Al Hodeidah governorates. At least 11 civilian casualties were reported in the past week, including two children killed and nine others injured. (IANS)