{
  "id": 4385978,
  "title": "Orangutan rescued from fire zone in Indonesia's Borneo, battles respiratory illness",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/orangutan-rescued-from-fire-zone-in-indonesias-borneo-battles",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T09:00:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2026/08/1522120/orangutan-rescued-fire-zone-indonesias-borneo-battles-respiratory"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ketapang, Indonesia: Farmer Jais discovered an orangutan in poor health near a palm-oil plantation in a region battling devastating forest fires, according to news reports. The orangutan, named Sampurna, was severely weakened and struggled for breath due to thick smoke, said Jais. Indonesia has ramped up efforts to control haze from forest and land fires affecting six provinces, with smoke causing respiratory illnesses and leading to the closure of hundreds of schools in Malaysia. Wildfires have consumed an estimated 202,010 hectares of land in Borneo, up from 107,465 hectares in the previous six months, according to the Forestry Ministry. Sampurna was taken to a wildlife foundation, where a veterinarian diagnosed the orangutan with hypoxia, resulting from the dense smoke. Despite the absence of severe burn injuries, Sampurna experienced breathing difficulties and vomiting. The orangutan, believed to be around 20 years old, was given oxygen therapy and fluids through an IV drip. It will be transferred to a rehabilitation center for further treatment and, once recovered, released back into the wild. Seven orangutans have been rescued from fires so far, according to wildlife officials, who emphasized the need for government action to address the long-term consequences of fires on public health, forests, and wildlife.",
  "summary": "KETAPANG, Indonesia: On Sunday morning, Jais, a farmer in Ketapang, West Kalimantan on Borneo island - the province hardest-hit by raging forest fires - was en route to his farm when he found an orangutan writhing on the ground in a weak state on a palm-oil plantation near the fire site.",
  "key_points": [
    "Farmer Jais found orangutan Sampurna in poor health near palm-oil plantation.",
    "Sampurna diagnosed with hypoxia from dense smoke inhalation.",
    "Seven orangutans rescued from fires, need government action."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Saving Sampurna: Farmer rescues weakened orangutan from forest fires in Indonesia's Borneo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/saving-sampurna-farmer-rescues-weakened-orangutan-from-forest-fires",
        "published": "2026-08-30T09:35:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}