Indonesia wildfires threaten orangutans rescued from animal traffickers

A wildfire, driven by hot, dry, and windy weather, has put orangutans recently rescued from animal traffickers at risk in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The blaze came within meters of an animal rehabilitation centre, forcing staff to relocate the 60 orangutans to a safer area within the facility. This is not the first time such a threat has occurred - the first 13 days of August saw more than three times the number of forest fire hotspots compared to the same period the previous year, following a record number of blazes between January and July.

The Yiari orangutan rehabilitation centre, which has been directly affected by the fire, has been working tirelessly to control the blaze. Flames have intensified due to the powerful El Niño and the ongoing climate crisis. Indonesian authorities have been using water-bombing techniques and have enlisted the aid of teams from the rehabilitation centre in their firefighting efforts.

The situation remains critical, but as of Thursday evening, all animals were reported safe. However, meteorologists warn of continued hot, dry conditions that could lead to more fires.

Indonesian officials have called for people to refrain from setting fires and remain vigilant as the country's fire season typically peaks in September and October. Yiari has been actively seeking funds for additional firefighting equipment in anticipation of the ongoing threat. Earlier this year, the centre had warned of growing risks after a fire started for land clearing spread into one of its ecosystem restoration sites.