Indonesia rescues second orangutan mother and baby from wildfire

Indonesia rescued a second orangutan mother and her baby from the path of wildfires threatening their habitat, authorities announced on Saturday. The Southeast Asian nation has been battling blazes that have created smog, impacting air quality in neighboring Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The orangutan duo had been under watch since July after being spotted in a plantation near a forest in West Kalimantan.

However, they were evacuated to a rescue center run by the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) on Thursday as fires approached their environment. Experts are monitoring their health, but preliminary checks found no burn injuries. YIARI veterinarian Komara explained that prolonged smoke exposure can harm the orangutans' respiratory systems, especially in highly polluted habitats.

As of now, nine orangutans have been evacuated from wildfire dangers in the Ketapang district of West Kalimantan in less than a month, according to YIARI operational director Argitoe Ranting. Fires not only destroy forests but also strip animals of shelter and food sources, he added. Tragically, one orangutan passed away after being rescued last week due to smoke inhalation, with a necropsy confirming smoke exposure as the cause of death.