Wildfires threaten Indonesia’s orangutans as rescues grow
In parts of Borneo and Sumatra have injured and displaced orangutans, while one rescued male died hours later. Rescuers treated a young female with burns, and…
For orangutans in Indonesia, fires mean shrinking habitat and dangerous journeys through smoke. Wildfires threaten Indonesia's orangutans across parts of Borneo and Sumatra, where rescuers have found animals injured, stranded and surrounded by thick haze.
Dozens of apes have been rescued in recent months. A young female known as Novita was found clinging to a nearly leafless tree in the Katune forest in Central Kalimantan, according to Jamartin Sihite, chairman of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
She had burns on her hands and feet.
Sihite told The Associated Press the injuries were likely sustained as Novita crossed a burned area while trying to reach a tree. Estimated to be 3 to 4 years old, she was tranquilized, given oxygen and intravenous fluids, then taken to the rehabilitation center in Nyaru Menteng.
After the burns heal, staff will assess whether she can climb and survive in the wild. Sihite said the foundation remained hopeful, citing orangutans previously released despite missing several fingers.
“We have previously released orangutans missing several fingers and they were still able to survive in the forest, so we remain hopeful that Novita can eventually return to the wild.”
Fires spread as dry conditions persist
Forest and land fires have worsened this year as El Niño intensifies a prolonged dry season, the report said. Fires have affected the Indonesian part of Borneo and some regions of Sumatra. Water shortages have hampered firefighting, while Japan has provided assistance to the island.
The human and animal toll is already visible. A male orangutan named Sampurna, believed to be around 20 years old, was found struggling to breathe by residents early last month on a palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan’s Ketapang district. He died hours after rescuers reached him, Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry said.
The ministry said more than 270 wild animals in Kalimantan had been rescued, rehabilitated or guided to safer habitats as of Saturday. Government data showed more than 202,000 hectares (499,000 acres) of land burned between January and July. Nusantara Atlas, an independent project that monitors fires using satellite imagery, estimated nearly 896,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) had burned by the end of August.
The smoke has also crossed borders. Toxic haze has caused health problems in neighboring countries, and smoke drifted as far as the Philippines, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. In Malaysia, authorities declared an emergency last week in Sarawak, on Malaysia’s part of Borneo.
Andi Muhammad Kadhafi, head of the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency, said the fires threaten both wildlife and people. The agency is a government body. He called for fire prevention, habitat protection, monitoring and rapid response to work together.
Satellite estimates put the burned area at nearly 896,000 hectares by the end of August.
Source: wral.com
