{
  "id": 13692183,
  "title": "Orangutans rescued from fires released to protected forest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/orangutans-rescued-from-fires-released-to-protected-forest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-11T10:09:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/10/11/orangutans-rescued-from-fires-released-to-protected-forest.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fires in recent weeks have forced the rescue of 46 orangutans from West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The apes, mostly families with babies or young males, were taken from various locations, mostly plantation areas, and relocated to a protected forest. The Forestry Ministry and International Animal Rescue (IAR) Indonesia announced the release on Sunday. The orangutans, 3 mother-baby pairs and 2 teenage males, will reside in the 23,000-hectare Batu Nyambu Protected Forest, preserving their natural habitat. International Animal Rescue CEO Karmele Llano Sanchez stated that habitat protection is crucial for the survival of orangutans, and relocation is a necessary measure when their homes are no longer safe. The new forest was chosen due to its abundance of food and water sources, and its proximity to other forests, ensuring the orangutans' survival. Indonesian authorities and IAR Indonesia rescued a total of 46 orangutans from fire threats between August and October 9. Orangutans are critically endangered, with only around 104,000 remaining in Kalimantan and Sumatra, a decrease from over 230,000 a century ago. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently warned that fires are burning in habitats containing 52 percent of Borneo's orangutan population. Indonesian authorities and IAR Indonesia have been battling wildfires during the dry season, but this year's fires have intensified due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which is one of the strongest in four decades. Slash-and-burn land-clearing practices have also altered the naturally fire-resistant landscape, making the fires more severe. The fires have caused severe haze, resulting in tens of thousands of respiratory illnesses, and have led to regional air pollution spikes in Singapore and Malaysia.",
  "summary": "Eight orangutans rescued in recent weeks from blazes that tore through West Kalimantan have been released into a protected forest, Indonesian authorities and rescuers said on Sunday.",
  "key_points": [
    "46 orangutans rescued from fires in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.",
    "Released to 23,000-hectare Batu Nyambu Protected Forest.",
    "Habitat protection crucial for orangutan survival."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}