In a remarkable intervention, the Customs Department in Mizoram successfully rescued a critically endangered baby orangutan suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar, yesterday in Seling village located in the Aizawl district.

Acting upon the received information the Customs Department officials swiftly intercepted a vehicle, allegedly coming from Myanmar, and rescued the primate. The vehicle’s driver was apprehended on the spot.

Meanwhile, the rescued baby orangutan has been sent to the care of the forest department and legal proceedings have been initiated against the arrested individual.

Mentions must be made that Orangutans, great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, have faced significant threats to their population, resulting in their classification as a critically endangered species. They are now found only in restricted regions of Borneo and Sumatra.