Orangutan rescued from Borneo fire battles respiratory illness

On Sunday, Jais, a farmer in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, discovered an orangutan weak and struggling on a palm-oil plantation near the site of a raging forest fire. Jais, who goes by a single name, provided the distressed primate with water. Indonesia has ramped up efforts to curb haze from forest and land fires across six provinces on Borneo and Sumatra islands, as smoke has led to respiratory illnesses, prompting thousands of schools to shift to online classes, including in neighboring Malaysia.

Wildfires scorched a minimum of 202,010 hectares of land between January and July, a significant rise from 107,465 hectares burned from January to June, according to Indonesia's Forestry Ministry. Upon encountering the orangutan, Jais and other locals promptly sought assistance. About two hours later, the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) wildlife foundation, accompanied by a veterinarian, arrived to provide medical care.

By then, the orangutan had collapsed due to oxygen deprivation caused by the thick smoke, a condition known as hypoxia. The foundation's CEO, Karmele Llano Sanchez, stated that the orangutan suffered from acute respiratory infection, exhibiting vomiting. The orangutan, named Sampurna after the village where it was found, is estimated to be around 20 years old.

While it lacked severe burn-related injuries, it experienced breathing difficulties. The veterinarian administered oxygen via tubes inserted into the orangutan's nose, and provided fluids intravenously, with an infusion bag hanging from a palm-oil branch. Sampurna will be transferred to a rehabilitation center for further treatment and eventual release back into the wild once it has fully recovered.

So far, the foundation has rescued seven orangutans due to fires. Sanchez cautioned that the government must not solely concentrate on extinguishing fires, but also prepare for the long-term consequences on public health, forests, and wildlife.