At Least 20 Orangutans Evacuated Across Kalimantan

Indonesian authorities rescued an orangutan mother and her baby in West Kalimantan after wildfires spread toward their habitat and transferred them to a YIARI rehabilitation center for monitoring. Neither had visible burn injuries, but veterinarians warned that prolonged smoke exposure can damage orangutans’ respiratory systems; one orangutan rescued the previous week reportedly died from smoke exposure. The latest rescue brought the number of orangutans evacuated from wildfire threats in Ketapang district to nine in less than a month, underscoring how fires are destroying forest habitat and food sources. Separately, 11 orangutans were evacuated from a rehabilitation forest school in East Kalimantan after flames breached a protected-area boundary; officials said all were safe but were monitoring stress and behavioral changes after their move into enclosed cages. The incidents are part of a broader wildfire and haze crisis affecting Borneo and Sumatra, with smoke also contributing to air pollution in neighboring countries.