Two Siamang gibbons that were rescued from traffickers last week at the Mumbai international airport have now been successfully deported back to their country of origin—Indonesia. Five Siamang gibbons were seized on the intervening night of February 4 and 5 from the luggage of a passenger arriving from Kuala Lumpur. Three of the primates were dead, while two had survived the journey. It is suspected that the cause of death was suffocation in the flyer’s bag, as well as lack of feeding and hydration.

The accused and animals were handed over to the Forest Department for further action. The dead animals were sent for autopsy at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Pawan Sharma, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane and President of the NGO RAWW, told mid-day that the two surviving gibbons were provided immediate medical intervention by the organisation.