Eight orangutans released after rescue from Borneo fires
The animals were taken to protected forest as fires continue across Indonesian Borneo.
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Eight orangutans rescued from areas of Borneo affected by fire have been taken to protected forest. Indonesian authorities and conservationists see the relocation as a chance for the animals to live in the wild again.
The eight animals were rescued in West Kalimantan between August and September. They comprised three mothers with their young and two young males. According to the Indonesian news service ANTARA, the animals were released in the protected Batu Nyambu forest after health checks and observation.
Batu Nyambu covers approximately 23,000 hectares, according to the authorities, and has forest corridors, food and water. The site was chosen because the animals would have more space and better living conditions there than in the areas affected by fires. The relocation took several hours by land, boat and on foot.
The release does not mean the rescue operation is over. Fires and smoke continue to threaten parts of Borneo. AP reported on Saturday that more than 270 wild animals had already been rescued, taken into care or escorted to safer areas in Kalimantan. Dozens of orangutans were also removed from fire zones.
The conservationists stress that care and relocation are emergency measures. The long-term goal remains to protect and restore forest areas in which orangutans can live independently. When habitat disappears, animals become more dependent on rescue teams and the risk of conflicts with people also increases.
The fires also have consequences beyond the nature reserves. According to AP, the smoke is linked to a longer and drier season in Indonesia, which is being intensified in part by El Niño. The smoke drifted to neighbouring countries, causing air-quality problems there. The rescue of eight animals is therefore good news within a broader environmental catastrophe, not evidence that the fires are under control.
The organisations involved have not reported how long the released animals will be monitored or how many of the rescued orangutans may later return to the wild. What is clear is that, in this case, the combination of rapid rescue, medical checks and available protected forest has produced a concrete result.
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The release and the composition of the group were confirmed by an Indonesian source and Reuters. The caveats about continuing fires and uncertain recovery were likewise substantiated by AP.
- confirmed Eight orangutans were taken to the protected Batu Nyambu forest. — Reported by ANTARA and Reuters. source
- confirmed The group consisted of three mother-and-young pairs and two young males. — This composition appears in reports by ANTARA and Reuters. source
- confirmed The protected forest covers approximately 23,000 hectares and has forest corridors, food and water. — ANTARA describes the features on which the site was selected. source
- confirmed More than 270 wild animals in Kalimantan had been rescued, taken into care or escorted to safer areas. — AP attributes this figure to Indonesia’s forestry ministry. source
- confirmed The fires and smoke continue to constitute a broader environmental problem. — AP describes continuing fires, smoke and consequences for people and animals. source
Editor's note
The release of eight animals was reported by Reuters and ANTARA. The fires, smoke and wider damage continue; little has been made public about the animals’ eventual chances of survival and monitoring.Sources
- Indonesia moves 8 endangered orangutans to safety after Borneo fires — Reuters via StreetInsider
- Eight orangutans rescued from W Kalimantan fires released into wild — ANTARA News
- Wildfires threaten Indonesia’s orangutans as rescuers find injured animals — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „orang-oetan borneo”
- NU.nl — „orang-oetan borneo”
- De Telegraaf — „orang-oetan borneo”