Efforts to evacuate orangutan affected by forest and land fire smoke

An adult male orangutan named Sampurna received oxygen assistance after being found weak and unconscious in a palm oil plantation owned by a resident in Laman Satong Village, Matan Hilir Utara District, Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on Sunday (30/8/2026).

A joint team from the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and Yayasan IAR Indonesia (YIARI) evacuated the orangutan to the YIARI Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. The animal is believed to have moved from its habitat due to forest and land fires and to have suffered respiratory distress from exposure to thick smoke over several days.

The orangutan was taken to the centre to undergo further medical examination and treatment.