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The Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia and Indonesian forestry officials released three mother-and-offspring pairs along with two adolescent male orangutans into the Batu Nyambu Protected Forest in West Kalimantan on October 10. The animals had been evacuated from fire-threatened zones in Ketapang and North Kayong districts between August and September. The journey to the release site involved six hours by car, one hour by boat and two hours trekking on foot while carrying the caged primates on bamboo poles, according to a joint statement.
Health assessments confirmed the orangutans were fit for release prior to translocation, the wildlife foundation reported. The protected forest spans approximately 23,000 hectares featuring primary and secondary canopy, abundant food sources, water and linkages to adjacent forested corridors. Operations director Argitoe Ranting noted that amid ongoing fires, finding suitable release areas has become increasingly challenging.
Since August, the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency and YIARI have rescued a total of 46 orangutans impacted by the blazes, agency head Murlan Dameria Pane said. Reuters figures show that fires burned about 202,000 hectares across Indonesia from January to July, with non-governmental organizations estimating an additional 600,000 hectares scorched in subsequent months. The El Nino weather pattern has intensified this year’s dry season, prolonging the fire risk into early November.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature warned last month that wildfires were burning through habitats holding 52 percent of the Bornean orangutan population, raising fears of significant losses among the critically endangered species. Populations of the great apes, found only on Borneo and Sumatra, have fallen from more than 230,000 a century ago to around 104,000 today, according to World Wildlife Fund data. Deforestation, poaching and repeated fire events have driven the decline.
YIARI described the relocation as a necessary step to allow the orangutans to resume natural behaviors in a secure environment free from immediate threats. The foundation has worked alongside government agencies to respond to public reports and conduct searches in affected areas. Similar rescue and release efforts have been undertaken in previous fire seasons, though the current scale has strained conservation resources.
In addition to orangutans, the fires have impacted other wildlife including gibbons and pangolins, with some animals suffering from smoke inhalation and burns requiring veterinary care. A Reuters report highlighted one orangutan rescued in August that battled respiratory illness before treatment at a rehabilitation center. Long-term habitat restoration remains a priority, as only a small percentage of previously burned peatlands have been reforested.
The haze generated by the wildfires has led to 175,000 cases of respiratory illness across Indonesia and prompted school closures in Singapore and Malaysia due to poor air quality, official data indicates. Environmental groups have urged sustained vigilance despite a recent dip in fire hotspots, citing the persistent risk from peatland blazes. President Prabowo Subianto established a new peatland and mangrove restoration agency last month to address such environmental challenges.
