Indonesia fires threaten Borneo orangutans, IUCN says

Wildfires in Indonesian Borneo are adding pressure on critically endangered Bornean orangutans, with fires burning inside habitats containing 52 percent of the species' population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said Saturday.

The IUCN said the affected areas include 13 of the 20 largest remaining orangutan populations on Borneo.

Indonesia has been battling fires for weeks in parts of Borneo and Sumatra. The fires have sent haze across the islands and into neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.

The IUCN said fire and smoke exposure impose physiological, behavioural and ecological costs on orangutans in peat forest habitats. It said orangutans show signs of fat breakdown during haze despite eating and resting more, suggesting higher energy demands likely linked to an immune system working harder.

The conservation network said wildfires had also been reported in the habitats of five gibbon species across Sumatra and Borneo.

As of Tuesday, Indonesia had rescued 100 animals threatened by the fires, including 53 orangutans, a forestry ministry spokesman said.

Ronna Saab of Forum Konservasi Orangutan Indonesia said emergency response should be followed by sustained investment in preventing future fires. She called for measures including protecting and rewetting peatlands, addressing drainage and deforestation, and protecting burned forests from later conversion.

The Indonesian government said more than 202,000 hectares of land burned nationwide between January and July, the latest available official data. The Nusantara Atlas project estimated the burned area at closer to 900,000 hectares between January and August.