Rescued 2 yrs ago from tiny cage in Dombivli house, orangutan returns to Indonesia, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• A male Sumatran Orangutan, rescued in 2022 from Dombivli, Maharashtra, was repatriated from India to Indonesia.
• This event marks the likely first repatriation of a wild animal from India to its country of origin.
• The primate was housed at Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), a Vantara entity, since March 2023.
• The repatriation was supervised by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), implementing the CITES treaty.
• The orangutan was flown to Kualanamu Airport, Medan, and will undergo rehabilitation in North Sumatra.

Detailed Insights:

• The orangutan was discovered by the Thane Forest Division in November 2022, confined in a cage within an apartment in Dombivli.
• Its transfer to GZRRC was mandated by a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee (HPC), led by Justice Deepak Verma.
• The repatriation involved a chartered flight from Jamnagar, India, to Indonesia, with officials from WCCB and the Indonesian government.
• Yogesh Warkad, WCCB Regional Deputy Director, oversaw the process as India's Assistant Management Authority for CITES.
• Repatriating animals seized domestically requires complex coordination, including import permits, export licenses, and health certificates under CITES.
• Orangutans are listed under Appendix I of CITES, which strictly restricts their trade and encourages repatriation when feasible.
• India's Wildlife Protection Act also supports repatriation after consultation with the animal's country of origin.
• The orangutan will undergo a multi-year rehabilitation process, including "forest school," at the Sumatran Rescue Alliance facility.

Key Concepts Involved:

• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): An international agreement regulating cross-border trade in endangered wild animals and plants.
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Indian legislation providing for the protection of wild animals, birds, and plants, and related matters.
• Appendix I (CITES): Lists species threatened with extinction, for which commercial international trade is generally prohibited.