Firefighters race to shield orangutan habitat as Tanjung Puting burns

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44 minutes ago

Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) – A joint firefighting task force has stepped up operations to extinguish wildfires raging within Tanjung Puting National Park to protect critically endangered orangutan habitats and nearby settlements.

West Kotawaringin Resort Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Joko Handono said in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (October 27) that crews are racing against time to contain the blazes and prevent them from encroaching on key conservation zones in the internationally renowned park.

“Our joint personnel are working around the clock to suppress and cool the fires to ensure they do not breach the orangutan feeding grounds, the Pesalat Conservation Zone, or residential areas in Sekonyer Village,” Handono said.

The emergency response was intensified after flames spread dangerously close to the Camp Tanjung Harapan feeding site, located near Sekonyer Village in Kumai Subdistrict.

Dozens of local police officers have been deployed alongside the Police Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), the environment ministry’s Manggala Agni forest firefighting brigade, Community Fire Awareness Groups (MPA), and local volunteers.

Handono highlighted that responders face severe operational hurdles, primarily the park’s deep peatland terrain. Peat fires burn underground, producing thick smoke and posing a persistent risk of reigniting long after surface flames have been extinguished.

Gusty winds have exacerbated the situation by rapidly and unpredictably spreading burning embers across parched brush.

“We have deployed additional personnel and are coordinating closely with the joint team to ensure the fires are fully extinguished,” Handono added.

He underscored that protecting Tanjung Puting remains an urgent priority given its global significance as a sanctuary for Bornean orangutans and a vital tropical rainforest ecosystem.

Police also warned local communities against using slash-and-burn practices for land clearance, cautioning that severe dry conditions have turned the area into a tinderbox.

“We urge all parties and residents not to clear land using fire. The prevailing dry conditions and high winds can instantly trigger escalating wildfires,” Handono said.