Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 04:31 AM UTC

Female orangutan rescued from wildfire-hit area in Kalimantan

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M.Arif H, Rahmad Nasution

Sampit, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - A roughly 20-year-old female orangutan has been rescued from a wildfire-scarred area in East Kotawaringin District, Central Kalimantan Province, Muriansyah, head of the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency’s (BKSDA) Sampit post, said.

“We rescued an orangutan on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with help from the Orangutan Foundation International and Animal Rescue Sampit. It was trapped in a burned area,” he said here Thursday.

The rescue involved BKSDA, the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), and Animal Rescue Sampit. The orangutan was found in Gang Sahabat, along Jalan Tjilik Riwut at kilometer 9, on the Sampit-Palangka Raya route.

Muriansyah said officials received a report around 10 a.m. from a resident who spotted the animal while working in a garden. BKSDA officers then went to the site to monitor it.

They subsequently coordinated with BKSDA’s Section II Conservation Unit in Pangkalan Bun to plan the rescue.

“At around 4 p.m., Animal Rescue Sampit members arrived to help monitor the orangutan. We and the resident who reported it remained on-site to keep watch,” Muriansyah said.

The BKSDA team from Pangkalan Bun and OFI arrived at around 6:30 p.m. Much of the access road had burned, while peatland and partially charred trees obstructed the rescue team.

The evacuation took place at night with limited lighting. Officers relied on portable flashlights, traveled by motorcycle, and continued on foot to reach the orangutan.

Despite the challenges, the rescue succeeded. The evacuation and the animal’s physical and health examinations took place between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Muriansyah said officers found no orangutan nests near the site. They suspected the animal had been passing through in search of food before residents spotted it and it climbed a tree.

“When threatened by fire, orangutans move to safer places. We strongly suspect this one was looking for food when a resident spotted it and alerted our officers,” he said.

Veterinarian Ichlasul Khaerul said the orangutan appeared to be in generally good health.

“Our physical examination found no broken bones, wounds, or bullets in the orangutan’s body,” Ichlasul said.

Initial examinations found no signs of acute respiratory infection. A stethoscope check indicated healthy lung sounds, while the orangutan remained active before being sedated.

However, Ichlasul suspected the animal was underfed, given the limited food sources in the area and its abdominal circumference.

Although the orangutan weighed 28 kilograms, a weight considered normal for a female, further examinations were needed to assess its health.

“We will send blood samples to a laboratory for further testing. We will also assess the orangutan after it wakes from sedation to check for effects not detected during the initial field examination,” he said.

The examination results will be discussed with BKSDA to determine the next steps, including plans to relocate the orangutan, named Ira, to a suitable location, he added.

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