Nine orangutans rescued from wildfires return to Indonesian forest

Conservationists released nine orangutans into the protected Batu Nyambu forest in Indonesian Borneo on Thursday, 29 October, after weeks of rehabilitation. Euronews reported that the animals were rescued during August and September from an oil palm plantation in Ketapang following devastating wildfires. [1]

The released group included four mothers with their young. Euronews noted that final veterinary examinations revealed three of the females were also expecting another baby. Workers opened transport cages in the forest, allowing the animals to climb into the tree canopy. [1]

Indonesian authorities rescued 46 orangutans from wildfires during August and September, as FTMQ News reported earlier. As FTMQ News previously covered, eight orangutans were also released into a western Borneo reserve on Friday, 10 October. [2]

Indonesia has been struggling against its worst forest fires in over a decade, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Smoke and haze from the blazes have spread to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, and the government in Jakarta agreed to accept international assistance. [3]

The population of orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra has fallen significantly. Around 104,000 orangutans remain across the two islands, compared to more than 230,000 a century ago. [2]