In late July, a fire broke out in the Borneo rainforest just beyond the International Animal Rescue (IAR) Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Indonesia. Normally, the days at the center are focused on making sure the orangutans are thriving.
Instead, the focus shifted to keeping them all safe.
The fire was less than a mile away from the center, and knowing how quickly wildfires can spread, the team was immediately concerned for the well-being of the animals they care for. There are over 60 orangutans currently at the center, and over 5,000 live in the forests surrounding it.
Several different agencies quickly came together to fight the fire and keep it away from the center, an all-consuming task.
“The safety of the animals undergoing rehabilitation is our highest priority,” Argitoe Ranting, operations director at Yayasan IAR Indonesia (YIARI), said in a press release. “Since the fire was detected, our entire team has acted quickly to implement emergency response procedures, ensuring that the orangutans and other animals remain safe while also supporting efforts to control the fire around the area.”
The orangutans of the Borneo rainforest are already critically endangered, and IAR works tirelessly every day to try and combat that. A fire threatens to set back that work in a big way, and the organization is looking for any help they can get to avoid that fate.
While the fire is now under control, the center is still unfortunately at risk.
“With conditions so dry, our teams must remain extremely vigilant because another fire could develop and spread very quickly,” Gavin Bruce, CEO of IAR, told The Dodo. “In addition to the risk of fire, the smoke poses a severe health risk to the local community, our staff and the animals.”
Now, IAR is looking for help keeping their orangutans safe and preventing wildfires like this from happening again as best they can.
“Protecting orangutans during a fire emergency requires trained teams, equipment, monitoring and the ability to respond rapidly when a threat is identified,” Bruce said. “Wildfires are unpredictable. The technology has advanced, such as the use of thermal imaging on drones to detect hotspots early. The team on the front line is dedicated and fearless — determined to do all they can to be ready. What we can all do is make sure that they have the training and equipment that they need to do what they can to protect the rescue center and the surrounding orangutan habitat.”
