Wildfires in Indonesia Threaten Orangutan Populations, Prompting Rescue Efforts Amid El Niño Intensification
Wildfires are extensively sweeping across parts of Indonesia's Borneo island and Sumatra, severely impacting endangered orangutan populations. The intensified El Niño phenomenon has prolonged the dry season, exacerbating the fires and creating dense haze. Rescuers are actively evacuating orangutans found injured, stranded, and surrounded by smoke. One such case involved a female Bornean orangutan named Novita, found clinging to a nearly leafless tree in Central Kalimantan province with burns on her hands and feet. Another, a male orangutan named Sampurna, died shortly after being rescued from a palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan. The Indonesian Forestry Ministry reports that over 270 wild animals in Kalimantan have been rescued, rehabilitated, or guided to safer habitats. Government data indicates that over 202,000 hectares of land burned between January and July, with independent estimates suggesting nearly 896,000 hectares by the end of August. The toxic haze has also caused health crises in neighbor...
