Indonesia rescues 15 orangutans in a month as Borneo wildfires surge
Six apes, including nursing infants, saved from fires in West Kalimantan as blazes displace wildlife and threaten millions with toxic haze.
What to know
- Six critically endangered orangutans, including two nursing infants, rescued from Borneo wildfires in a single week—15 total rescued in August-September.
- Apes became trapped on plantations after fires severed access to forest habitat, with blazes burning within 200 meters of rescue sites.
- Indonesia experiencing worst August haze in 24 years; over 35 million people exposed to toxic PM2.5 smoke spreading to neighboring countries.
- 43,000 firefighters deployed; Japanese naval support arrived with helicopters as El Niño conditions worsen dry season blazes.
“In addition to facing the threat of flames and smoke, the orangutans' movement among plantations also has the potential to increase interactions and conflict with (human) communities.”
Indonesian forestry ministry and YIARI, Government and wildlife authorities · Channel News Asia ↗ · Sep 9
Indonesian forestry ministry Government authorityYIARI (Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia) Wildlife rehabilitation foundationGreenpeace Environmental organizationEU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Scientific monitoring body
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
-
2
Japan deploys naval support for Indonesian firefighting efforts
A Japanese navy ship arrived in West Kalimantan with three helicopters to assist water bombing operations. Indonesia has deployed approximately 43,000 firefighters to combat the blazes nationwide.
-
background
Indonesia confirms worst August haze in 24 years; millions exposed to toxic smoke — The EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported that August 2026 haze was the worst for any month in 24 years. Indonesian government data shows over 202,000 hectares burned January-July, with independent estimates at 300,000 to 895,657 hectares. Greenpeace estimates some 35 million Indonesians are exposed to toxic PM2.5 particles, with haze spreading to Malaysia and Singapore.
-
3
Six orangutans rescued in week; total reaches 15 in a month
Indonesian authorities and the YIARI wildlife rehabilitation foundation announced Thursday that six orangutans, including two nursing infants, had been rescued in the past week from Borneo wildfires, bringing the monthly total to 15. The rescues highlight the growing crisis for wildlife as fires cut off habitat access.
“This situation left the orangutans without a safe route back to their habitat; they could only move from one plantation to another…”
— Indonesian forestry ministry and YIARI -
1
Mother-infant orangutan pair rescued from fires
A mother orangutan and nursing infant were rescued on Tuesday, completing the week's rescue operation. All six rescued apes were taken to YIARI's rehabilitation centre in Ketapang.
-
first by SCMP, 13d ago · also Channel News Asia
1 more headline
- Indonesia rescues six orangutans from fires in a week Phys.org · 13d ago
-
E
🇮🇩 🦧 Wildlife team rescue orangutans from burning Borneo peatland Conservationists in Central Kalimantan province, on the Indonesian island of Borneo, have rescued a female orangutan and her baby from thick smoke created by a nearby wildfire.
-
-
background
Four orangutans rescued with help of residents and plantation workers — Rescue teams, aided by local residents and plantation workers, successfully rescued four orangutans on Friday. The animals were anaesthetized to minimize stress and injury before transport to rehabilitation.
-
background
Orangutans stranded as fires cut off forest access in West Kalimantan — A group of critically endangered orangutans became trapped on plantations in Pemangkat village, West Kalimantan province, after wildfires blocked their route back to their forest habitat. A large fire was burning just 200 meters from where the group was found.