Indonesia Evacuates 11 Orangutans as Forest Fires Spread in Borneo

Jakarta, MINA – Indonesia evacuated 11 orangutans from a forest fire in its part of Borneo earlier this week and is monitoring their health, an official said on Friday.

M. Ari Wibawanto, head of the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), said the orangutans are healthy and in safe condition despite limited facilities, according to state news agency Antara.

The evacuation took place Tuesday after a severe land fire reached a protected forest reserve in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, where the orangutans were being rehabilitated.

The animals have shown behavioral changes, including signs of boredom due to the lack of natural canopy stimulation, after being moved to enclosed evacuation cages in Samboja. A joint medical team is caring for them to minimize stress and support their cognitive development.

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Separately, an adult male orangutan found in Ketapang regency last week died after suffering respiratory problems linked to thick wildfire smoke that had enveloped its habitat for days. A necropsy found pathological changes in the heart, kidneys, and lungs, which were suspected to be related to smoke exposure.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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