Bhubaneswar: Investigating agencies in Odisha are treading carefully in their probe into the mysterious rescue of five infant orangutans from a forest in Balasore district. The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch has registered a formal case, but no arrests have been made so far as authorities focus on unravelling the full extent of the suspected wildlife trafficking network.According to sources, The STF, probing the case along with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and forest officials, has zeroed in on CCTV footage capturing a black Mahindra Thar SUV as a central lead.Security cameras recorded the vehicle near a hotel and other locations in Digha on the Odisha-West Bengal border around 10:56 pm on the night of September 7, hours before the orangutans were rescued, then again near Bichitrapur about 39 minutes later at approximately 11:35 pm. The short time gap and the roughly 22-km stretch between the sites have prompted questions about possible stops, route deviations and additional suspects joining the convoy. Footage from multiple cameras, including a fertiliser shop, shows the Thar heading toward the Badapahi, the casuarina forest in Bhograi area of Balasore district where the five baby orangutans were found on the morning of September 8, and returning within about 12 to 15 minutes.
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