Eight rescued orangutans return to the wild in Borneo

Eight orangutans rescued from wildfire-threatened habitats in Indonesian Borneo have been released into a protected forest. Three mothers with their young and two males returned to the wild on 9 October, Indonesia’s forestry ministry and International Animal Rescue Indonesia said.

Conservationists checked the animals’ health and declared them fit for release before a nine-hour journey to Batu Nyambu Protected Forest. The operation took six hours by car, one by boat and two on foot, with teams carrying the orangutans’ cages on bamboo poles.

Fires had left their former habitats unable to support them safely, reducing access to food and cutting off routes to other forest areas. One mother, Mama Lifa, and her offspring were rescued from a patch of acacia trees surrounded by oil palm plantations after fire damage and food shortages threatened their survival.

The 23,000-hectare reserve in West Kalimantan was chosen for its food and water sources and its connections to other forests. Rescuers said the aim was not simply to move the animals, but to give them a chance to survive in their natural habitat.

Orangutans are critically endangered. The rescue team stressed that protecting their forests remains the priority, with relocation necessary when those habitats are no longer safe.