{
  "id": 16127568,
  "title": "Scorched sanctuaries: The race to save Borneo’s orangutans from fires",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/scorched-sanctuaries-the-race-to-save-borneos-orangutans-from-fires",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-22T23:08:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/2026/10/scorched-sanctuaries-the-race-to-save-borneos-orangutans-from-fires/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, a race is underway to save Borneo's orangutans from the devastating effects of forest and land fires. Thick smog permeates the forest canopy, dimming the sun. These infernos are not only destroying habitats but also pushing local primates perilously close to extinction.\n\nVeterinarian Komara and the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) team are on the front lines of this crisis. Between August 1 and October 21, 2026, their joint emergency operations with the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) rescued 53 Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) from the infernos. YIARI's Komara and other veterinarians treated a female orangutan and her baby after they were rescued from a burned forest and peatland area in Pelang village, Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, on September 18, 2026.\n\nBornean orangutans are one of three orangutan species on the planet, and the sole species confined to the island of Borneo. All three orangutan species are critically endangered. Palm oil plantations are a frequent target of these flames, with a fire burning in Sungai Putri village, Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, on August 19, 2026.\n\nThe fires pose a dual threat to orangutans. They kill the animals directly, but also obliterate their homes, deplete their food sources, and sever the paths they use to navigate between groups. The scale of these forest and land fires in West Kalimantan highlights the severity of the situation: 48,536 hectares (119,935 acres) have burned in the province in 2026 - an area the size of around 60,000 football fields.",
  "summary": "Thick smog covers the forest canopy in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, dimming the sun. On the front lines, forest and land fires are not just destroying habitats; they are pushing local primates close to extinction. In the middle of this crisis, Veterinarian Komara and the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) team stay alert. Between Aug. […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "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."
}