Wildfires Threaten Borneo Orangutans as Indonesia Ramps Up Efforts

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:31:03 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Indonesia battles wildfires in Borneo, putting orangutan habitat at risk. A weak orangutan rescued in West Kalimantan.

Indonesia’s wildfires have scorched large swaths of Borneo’s forests, destroying the natural habitat of hundreds of orangutans. In a recent rescue, a weak orangutan was found lying on the ground in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. Wildlife conservationists from YIARI are working closely with local authorities to move the animal to a rehabilitation centre where it will receive medical care and be released back to the wild once recovered. The situation remains critical as the fires intensify and threaten the survival of the species.

Orangutans in danger as wildfires blaze through Borneo

In the early hours of Tuesday, Indonesian authorities discovered a weak orangutan lying on the forest floor in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, a region already on the front line of the island’s escalating wildfire crisis.

The fires have scorched portions of the island’s lush rainforests, eroding vital habitats and stripping orangutans of the food and water sources essential to their survival. Indonesia’s government has intensified efforts to contain haze and suppress flames across six Borneo provinces and parts of Sumatra.

“The situation is quite critical,” warned Karmele Llano Sanchez, CEO of the wildlife foundation Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI). “The fires are leaving our orangutans without any food or water.”

YIARI will relocate the rescued animal to a dedicated rehabilitation centre for treatment, with plans to release it back into the wild once it has fully recovered. The organization’s rapid response underscores the urgent need to preserve biodiversity amid the growing environmental threat posed by wildfires in Indonesia’s Borneo forest.