As fires spread in Indonesia, Bornean orangutans run out of forest to flee
JAKARTA — As fires continue to engulf large swaths of forest in Indonesian Borneo, orangutans have increasingly fewer places to flee, with fires either surrounding them or eliminating the forest on which they depend. Fires are spreading across a connected but heavily fragmented forest landscape and the habitat of critically endangered Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) […]
As fires continue to ravage large portions of forest in Indonesian Borneo, the critically endangered Bornean orangutans are finding fewer and fewer places to escape to. The fires are spreading across a fragmented forest landscape, encircling the habitats of these orangutans in West Kalimantan, including the Gunung Palung National Park and the Mendawak Biodiversity Corridor.
Gunung Palung National Park, a crucial stronghold for the Central Bornean orangutan, is home to around 2,500 animals and hosts one of the longest-running studies of wild orangutans. The adjacent Mendawak Biodiversity Corridor plays a complementary role, providing additional habitat and a framework for maintaining and reconnecting forest patches in a fragmented landscape.
However, both areas have been affected by fires during this year's dry season, exacerbated by an exceptionally strong El Niño, leading to hot and dry conditions across Indonesia.
Brief written by urgent.news from Mongabay's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
