Dozens of orangutans rescued from Indonesia’s blazes

Dozens of critically endangered orangutans have been rescued from the devastating wildfires ravaging Indonesia, conservation groups reported. The months-long haze caused by the fires has severely impacted the region, closing schools, exacerbating respiratory issues in humans and animals, and disrupting outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and East Timor.

On Sunday, air quality monitors revealed that pollution levels across the region ranged from unhealthy to very unhealthy, blanketing many areas in toxic haze. The fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands, exacerbated by a powerful El Nino weather phenomenon, continued to spew smoke.

Indonesia's conservation agencies and non-profit organizations have been working tirelessly to save wildlife from the fires, including a 20-year-old male orangutan evacuated on Saturday from Hampangen village in Central Kalimantan on Borneo island. The agencies emphasized the careful nature of the evacuation process, which included sedating the orangutan before conducting a health examination and transferring the animal to a rehabilitation center.

The transportation ministry also reported that around 2,400 flights across the country had been affected by the haze since mid-August, as the reduced visibility around airports led to delays, disruptions, and even cancellations. In Singapore, PM2.5 concentrations remained elevated in Western parts of the city-state, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index staying in the "very unhealthy" range.

Atmospheric sciences expert Wang Jingyu attributed the persistent haze to a super El Nino weather phenomenon, which has resulted in cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures. This phenomenon has led to insufficient evaporation from the ocean, resulting in a lack of rain and making it difficult to control the fires.