Balasore: Forest officials rescued five orangutans from the Bichitrapur forest area in Balasore district on Tuesday, triggering a probe into how the rare primates, native to Indonesia and parts of Malaysia, ended up in Odisha.The orangutans were spotted near Badapahi village in Bhograi block, surprising local residents who initially struggled to identify the animals.According to locals, villagers going about their daily activities noticed a group of unusual creatures moving through the trees inside the forest. Their appearance and movements left many puzzled, with some comparing them to primitive humans.As news of the sighting spread, scores of curious residents gathered near the forest to catch a glimpse of the animals. Several people recorded videos and photographs on their mobile phones, which quickly circulated in the area.Following the alert, a team led by Udaypur forest ranger Sanjay Mohanty rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. All five orangutans were safely captured and taken to the Udaypur forest office for examination.The sighting has baffled forest officials, as orangutans are not found in the wild in India. Authorities have launched an inquiry to determine where the animals came from and how they reached the coastal forest.Divisional forest officer (wildlife), Balasore, Pratik Prakash Indalkar said the health condition of the animals would be thoroughly assessed before further action is taken.“We will conduct a detailed investigation to ascertain the origin of the orangutans and how they came to Balasore,” Indalkar said.Forest officials said arrangements are being made to shift the rescued animals to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar after completion of veterinary examinations and other formalities.