Orangutans released back into Borneo forest after devastating fires
Eight orangutans rescued from wildfires have been released into a forest reserve in western Borneo. The move aims to give the critically endangered apes a safe chance to survive after fires destroyed and fragmented the habitats they depended on.
The group comprises three mothers, their three daughters and two adult males; Indonesian authorities rescued 46 orangutans from fires in August and September. The reserve has food and water and links to other forest areas. WWF estimates about 104,000 orangutans remain in Borneo and Sumatra, down from more than 230,000 a century ago, while fires this year intensified amid El Niño and habitat loss.
- Eight rescued orangutans return to a Borneo forest reserve.
- Fires threatened their habitat and access to food.
- Indonesia rescued 46 orangutans during August and September.
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Orangutans are large, intelligent apes found only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in South-East Asia. Their numbers have collapsed dramatically over the past century, from more than 230,000 to roughly 104,000 today, as their forest habitats have been destroyed or fragmented by human activity.
Borneo has experienced destructive wildfires in recent months, intensified by drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern and worsened by existing habitat degradation. These fires have destroyed critical orangutan habitat, prompting conservation authorities to rescue dozens of the endangered apes from the affected areas.
Orangutans depend entirely on tropical rainforests for survival, and their current range is already fragmented and shrinking. The combination of immediate threats like fire with long-term habitat loss from deforestation means the species faces an uncertain future.