Bengaluru: Indonesia has officially requested India to return five rescued infant orangutans if its investigations reveal that the animals originated in the Southeast Asian country, The Wire has learnt.In an official letter on September 10, Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry wrote to the Indian CITES Management Authority (which regulates the entry of exotic wildlife into India, among other things) that it is ready to offer help and coordinate closely with Indian authorities to take all steps to ensure the speedy return of five infant orangutans if genetic samples reveal that they originated in Indonesia.The letter, accessed by The Wire, requests India to provide Indonesia with confirmation of the incident wherein five infant orangutans (aged between six and eight months) were found in the forests of Balasore, Odisha, on September 8.“Given that orangutans (Pongo spp.) are listed in Appendix I of CITES and Indonesia is a range state for orangutan species, we would highly appreciate confirmation from the CITES Management Authority of India regarding this incident,” it read.Indonesia has also asked for more details pertaining to the orangutans. Apart from a detailed chronology of the events, the country has also requested for more information from India about the animals’ current health condition and where they are being housed, and their transfer and handling by authorities.In the letter to Sushil Kumar Awasthi, the Director General of Forests and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, who also heads the CITES Management Authority of India, Indonesia has also asked for any preliminary information regarding the country of origin of the animals, if genetic samples are being taken to ascertain this, and details of any biological samples being taken, if any.The letter also asks for trafficking data: “transport or trafficking route, point of entry into India, and any countries that may have been involved as transit points”.Also read: Probe Ordered as Orangutans Not Indigenous to India Found in Odisha ForestThe letter, issued by Ahmad Munawir, Director of Species and Genetic Conservation of Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, has also asked for information on whether any CITES permits or other wildlife trade documents were found or identified in connection with the animals.Indonesia has also requested for the latest information on the status of the investigation being undertaken by Indian authorities and preliminary findings, if any.On September 8, villagers had come across the five infant orangutans (two females and three males) in the Ramanatha forests of Balasore district in Odisha. They alerted forest officials.Authorities suspect that the infants could have been abandoned in the area after a wildlife trafficking incident gone awry. The incident triggered combing operations in the area to look for any other abandoned exotic animals.The Special Task Force of the Odisha Police is investigating the incident; the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has also been looped in. According to officials, the incident had been reported under the Wildlife Protection Act.The rescued animals are currently being housed at the Nandankanan Zoological Park. However, as per some reports, the state government has allegedly approached the Central Zoo Authority to seek approval for their permanent stay.The state’s forest and environment minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia even claimed that the presence of the infant orangutans would bring more footfall to Nandankanan Zoo.Experts, however, have demanded that the animals be repatriated to their country of origin.“If India wants to set an example of returning these animals to the wild, this is a good opportunity,” said Jose Louies, Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Trust of India, a conservation NGO, commenting on Indonesia’s request to India, adding, “It is more important than placing them in zoos. Every measure should be taken to send these animals to the countries where they can survive in the wild. There are many institutions and organisations in Indonesia and Malaysia [where orangutans are native to] that can take care of these animals and rewild them.”