Indonesian authorities and wildlife rescuers have successfully saved six Bornean orangutans trapped by forest and land fires in deep rural West Kalimantan province, according to the forestry ministry and the Indonesian Orangutan Rehabilitation Foundation (YIARI). The rescue operations bring the total number of evacuated apes to 15 over the span of a single month.
Six Bornean Orangutans Rescued From Raging Fires in West Kalimantan
The animals became stranded in community-owned plantations located in Pemangkat Village, Kayong Utara District, after rapid blazes cut off their access routes to natural forest blocks. According to a joint statement from the forestry ministry and YIARI, a large fire was burning approximately 200 meters from where the critically endangered group was located. The fires left the primates unable to find a safe route back to their habitat, forcing them to move between plantations in search of food and shelter.
YIARI Operations Program Director Argitoe Ranting noted that the situation severely increased safety risks for the animals and heightened the potential for conflict with local residents as the displaced wildlife ventured closer to human activity.
Two-Stage Evacuation and Medical Treatment
The rescue operations were conducted across two separate dates following information gathered by joint patrols and monitoring launched on September 1, 2026, by West Kalimantan’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and YIARI. The efforts also received support from the Palung Foundation, the Pemangkat Village Forest Management Institution, and local residents and plantation owners.
The first operation on September 4 rescued four individuals: juveniles Naufal and Nopan, along with Mama Nopi and her offspring, Nopi. The rescue team returned on September 8 following a report about another mother and offspring in the same area, successfully rescuing Mama Noni and her nursing offspring, Noni.
During the field interventions, medical teams administered carefully measured doses of anesthetic to handle the animals safely. Initial examinations showed that Naufal and Mama Nopi were in generally good condition with no significant injuries. However, Nopan’s body temperature briefly spiked to 40 degrees Celsius before returning to normal following treatment and intravenous fluids.
Mama Noni, estimated to be 13 to 15 years old, was found panting with a body temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius. Medical staff provided her with intravenous fluids, oxygen, and cooling compresses. Her infant, estimated to be only one to two months old, continued nursing after the rescue and remains under close observation due to its extreme youth and high dependence on its mother.
Broader Wildfire Context and Ongoing Threat
All six rescued orangutans were transported to YIARI’s Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center for continuous health monitoring and further medical care. Authorities have stressed that field patrols and monitoring will remain intensified while forest and land fires continue to threaten the region and block wildlife corridors.
The recent rescues unfold against a backdrop of widespread fires across Borneo. According to data analyzed by wildlife campaigner Annisa Rahmawati of Geopix, nearly 79 percent of detected wildfire hotspots in Kalimantan between June 1 and August 28, 2026, were located directly inside Bornean orangutan habitat areas, impacting millions of hectares of forest cover and threatening food sources, nesting trees, and population sustainability.
