India, Sept. 11 -- Indonesia has formally sought the return of five infant orangutans rescued from a forest in Odisha's Balasore district, saying it is ready to coordinate with Indian authorities if investigations establish that the animals originated from Indonesia

In a letter dated September 10, Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry urged the Indian CITES Management Authority to confirm the incident and share details of the five orangutans, which were found in the forest on September 8.

The five animals, comprising two females and three males aged between six and eight months, were spotted by villagers, who alerted the forest officials. Authorities suspect that the orangutans may have been abandoned after a wildlife trafficking act went w...