Orangutans returned to Borneo wild after fires ravage habitat

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 OCTOBER 2026 —

Eight critically endangered orangutans were released back into a protected forest reserve in Borneo on Friday after their habitats were devastated by record wildfires this year, marking the culmination of a rescue effort that began in September.

The move underscores the escalating threat posed by climate-driven fires to Indonesia’s biodiversity, with conservationists warning that orangutan populations—already down to just 104,000 across Borneo and Sumatra—face irreversible decline if deforestation and land-clearing practices continue unchecked. The release follows the rescue of 46 orangutans by Indonesian authorities between August and September, as blazes fueled by the strongest El Niño on record turned the dry season into an ecological crisis.

The eight apes—three mothers, their three daughters, and two adult males—were relocated to a reserve in West Borneo after their original habitats were consumed by fires that left them without food or safe roaming grounds.

Among them was Mama Nopi, whose family of four had been surviving in a coconut and rubber plantation near the blazes since early September, while Mama Lifa and her child were found stranded in a patch of acacia trees entirely surrounded by oil palm plantations. Mama Man and her infant had been monitored since June in a plantation adjacent to a shrinking forest fragment, their movements further restricted by encroaching fires.

The reserve selected for their release was chosen for its connectivity to other forested areas and availability of food and water, though conservationists emphasized that such relocations are temporary fixes. "We want to ensure that rescued orangutans are not simply moved from one place to another, but actually have a chance to survive in their natural habitat," said Argitoe Ranting of International Animal Rescue Indonesia (Yiari).

The organization, alongside Indonesia’s forestry ministry, had earlier deemed the evacuation of the eight apes a "necessary step" as their habitats became uninhabitable.

This year’s fires were particularly severe due to the El Niño phenomenon, which has intensified drought conditions and made weather patterns more volatile. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned last month that wildfires were burning through habitats containing 52% of Borneo’s orangutan population, with climate change projected to render large portions of their remaining forest homes inhospitable.

Experts also cited land-clearing for plantations—replacing fire-resistant native forests with less dense vegetation—as a key factor in the fires’ spread, exacerbating the fragmentation of orangutan habitats.

The release comes as Indonesia grapples with the long-term consequences of its palm oil and logging industries, which have historically driven deforestation. While the government has pledged to reduce emissions and protect wildlife, conservationists argue that enforcement remains weak, particularly in regions where plantations encroach on protected areas.

Yiari’s CEO, Karmele Llano Sanchez, noted that the orangutans’ original habitats had been "burned and fragmented to the point they could no longer sustain the primates," leaving relocation as the only viable option.

For Malaysia, the crisis serves as a stark reminder of the regional ecological risks posed by transboundary haze and deforestation. As Indonesia’s neighbor, Malaysia has historically faced economic and health disruptions from cross-border smoke, with palm oil and logging sectors in both countries contributing to habitat loss for shared wildlife, including orangutans.

The release of the eight apes, while a positive step, highlights the urgent need for coordinated conservation efforts across Southeast Asia to mitigate the dual threats of climate change and industrial expansion.

The next phase for the rescued orangutans will be monitored closely by Yiari and local authorities to assess their adaptation to the new reserve. With El Niño’s effects expected to persist into next year, conservation groups are already preparing for potential further disruptions to wildlife habitats, warning that without immediate action, the region’s critically endangered species could face irreversible decline.