A young orangutan rescued in India arrived home in Sumatra

A young male Sumatran orangutan rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in India has arrived in Medan. The Indian Express reported on October 20, 2026, that the animal, about three years old, landed Monday at Kualanamu Airport. Officials described the flight as likely the first time a wild animal rescued in India has been sent back to its country of origin.

He was found in a cramped cage in the Thane and Dombivli area, then held at the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, known as Vantara, since March 2025 after time at Gorewada Zoo in Nagpur. A chartered flight carried him with staff from India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Western Region, Vantara, and Indonesian officials. India's embassy said the consulate general attended a Ministry of Forestry reception. He will be quarantined, then moved for rehabilitation at the Sumatran Rescue Alliance in Bukit Mas, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, which is managed by the Centre for Orangutan Protection. India waived the historical cost of his care. Orangutans are listed on CITES Appendix I. The landing starts that rehab. It is not a release into the forest.