Dozens of endangered orangutans rescued from Indonesia wildfires as haze chokes region

Members of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) and WWF Indonesia evacuate a 20-year-old orangutan amid forest and land fires in Hampangen village, Katingan regency, Central Kalimantan, on October 17, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 12:45 PM MYT

JAKARTA, Oct 18 — Dozens of critically endangered orangutans have been rescued in recent weeks from rampant wildfires burning across Indonesia, conservation groups said.

The fires have triggered a months-long pollution spell that has closed schools, fuelled a surge in respiratory conditions both among humans and animals, and restricted outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor.

Pollution levels again ranged from unhealthy to very unhealthy across the region today, cloaking many areas across southern Southeast Asia in toxic haze.

Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir again ranked Singapore and Kuala Lumpur among the world’s top five most polluted major cities as fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands, intensified by a turbo-charged El Niño weather phenomenon, keep emitting smoke.

In Indonesia, groups are working to save wildlife from the fires, including orangutans.

Yesterday, the West Kalimantan conservation agency and Indonesian non-profit YIARI said a team evacuated 51 orangutans from locations in the province from August 6 to October 19.

And figures from Indonesia’s forestry ministry suggested this week that the number rescued over recent months in Kalimantan could be as high as 96.

Officials could not be immediately reached to clarify the number.

The latest rescue came on Saturday, when three conservation agencies rescued a 20-year-old male orangutan in Hampangen village in Central Kalimantan, on Borneo island.

“The evacuation process was carried out with great caution,” the agencies said.

“After the orangutan was sedated, the medical team immediately conducted a health examination before taking the animal to the... rehabilitation centre,” it said.

Indonesia’s transport ministry also said around 2,400 flights across the country have been affected by the haze since mid-August.

“Haze reduces visibility around airports, which can lead to delays, disruptions, and even flight cancellations. Every operational decision is made with safety as the top priority,” the ministry said. — AFP