New Delhi, Sept. 14 -- The orangutans found abandoned in a forest in Odisha should shake us. This is not just about the tragic abandonment of an endangered species. It is a mirror to our menagerie mentality. It also tells us we have learnt little about preventing zoonotic diseases since the Covid pandemic. It's no secret that keeping exotic pets has long been popular among India's wealthy elite. Who does not remember Wajid Ali Shah, forced to leave Lucknow for Kolkata in 1856, dragging his menagerie of exotic animals along with him? Most died, unable to survive the change in climate. That pattern has not changed. We have all heard of zebras and giraffes smuggled in and paraded at weddings. We have heard of African grey parrots as pets. The case of the orangutans in Odisha confirms these are not just rumors. Keeping a menagerie, however well the animals are fed and housed, is unfair to them. It strips creatures of the freedom they deserve. But this is also about our own safety. Wild animals carry viruses and parasites to which humans have no immunity. HIV is believed to have come from chimpanzees, Ebola from fruit bats, and SARS from civet cats and fruit bats. Covid spread from Wuhan to the entire world within weeks and is still with us. We need to roll this back urgently and aggressively through anonymous tip lines, stronger customs enforcement, and rewards for officials who catch wildlife smugglers. Those who import these animals should face punishment as severe as drug traffickers - both endanger human life. We must learn from Odisha's story, for wildlife's sake and our own....