Wildfires threaten Indonesia's orangutans as rescuers find injured animals
Wildfires in Indonesia, exacerbated by El Niño, are threatening the survival of endangered orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. Rescuers are working to rehabilitate injured animals, though some have already perished due to the smoke and habitat destruction.
Why it matters
The crisis highlights the devastating impact of climate-driven wildfires on biodiversity and the urgent need for wildlife conservation efforts.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Wildfires sweeping across parts of Indonesia’s Borneo island have left endangered orangutans struggling to survive, prompting rescuers to evacuate animals found injured, stranded and surrounded by thick haze.
A female Bornean orangutan nicknamed Novita was among dozens of apes rescued from wildfires in parts of Sumatra and Borneo in recent months. She was found clinging to a nearly leafless tree as dense smoke billowed across the scorched landscape in the Katune forest in Central Kalimantan province, said Jamartin Sihite, the chairman of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
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