Three wildfire-affected orangutans rescued in West Kalimantan

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2 hours ago

Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA) – West Kalimantan’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the Indonesian Nature Rehabilitation Initiative Foundation (YIARI) have rescued three orangutans in two operations in Simpang Hilir Subdistrict, Ketapang District.

“The three orangutans include a mother and her offspring found in a resident’s palm oil plantation in Penjalaan Village, and an adult male in Padu Banjar Village,” YIARI’s President Director Karmele Llano Sanchez said.

Forest and land fires forced the three orangutans from their habitat in North Kayong District into residents’ plantations in critical condition, Sanchez said in a press statement received here on Monday.

Mama Penja and her offspring were found severely emaciated and weak, barely moving from their nest despite human activity around the site.

“When we arrived, we saw the mother and her offspring in very poor condition. Both appeared extremely thin and weak,” Sanchez said.

After being tranquilized with a blow dart, the medical team administered intravenous fluids and oxygen before taking them to YIARI’s rehabilitation center for further examination and treatment.

Examinations showed Mama Penja suffered severe dehydration, anemia, burns on both feet with peeling skin, and damaged teeth. The burns were suspected to have resulted from walking on burning peatland.

The damage showed fires not only destroy habitat, but also limit wildlife’s access to food. Sanchez said Mama Penja began looking for food as soon as she regained consciousness.

In Padu Banjar village, the team rescued an adult male orangutan identified as Kumbang. A microchip check showed he had previously been rescued and released in the same area in 2022.

YIARI’s Operations Director Argitoe Ranting said the spreading fires likely drove Kumbang from his habitat into residential areas and plantations. The team also found respiratory problems, bodily injuries, snare marks, and a suspected bullet fragment in his right hand.

“The habitat had previously been relatively safe for this orangutan, but the spreading fires drove him into villages and residents’ plantations,” Ranting said.

Habitat conditions at both sites are also a concern because the Penjalaan and Padu Banjar village forests are orangutan habitats and buffer zones for Gunung Palung National Park as an important population area.

Meanwhile, Chief of West Kalimantan’s BKSDA Murlan Dameria Pane said all three orangutans were being treated at YIARI’s rescue center in Ketapang. BKSDA has rescued 18 orangutans affected by forest and land fires.

“Overall, we have rescued 18 orangutans affected by forest and land fires to date,” Pane said.

She urged residents to report fire-affected wildlife immediately to speed up rescue efforts. Reports can be made to the BKSDA West Kalimantan call center at 0811-5670-041 or 0811-5776-767.

YIARI’s Chairman Silverius Oscar Unggul said a rapid response was needed because fires were increasingly restricting orangutans’ access to forests and forcing them into landscapes that threaten their health and safety.