Eight Orangutans Rescued from Forest Fires Released into Ketapang Protected Forest
Eight Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) rescued from forest and land fires in Ketapang and North Kayong regencies, West Kalimantan, have been released into Batu Nyambu Protected Forest in Ketapang Regency.
“Amid ongoing forest and land fires, we are facing a difficult situation. Many orangutans have lost their habitat, while the amount of safe forest available to accommodate them is increasingly limited,” said Argitoeranting, operational director of the Indonesian Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Nature (YIARI), in a statement received in Ketapang on Saturday.
He explained that Batu Nyambu Protected Forest was chosen because it has adequate ecological capacity. The area, covering around 23,000 hectares, has primary and secondary forest cover, food and water sources, space for ranging, and links to other forest areas.
The eight orangutans comprise three mother-and-offspring pairs and two adolescent males. They were rescued from fire-affected locations in Ketapang and North Kayong between August and September 2026.
Mama Man and her offspring, Man, came from Tempurukan village in Ketapang Regency. They had been observed from mid-June 2026 in a residents’ plantation bordering forest. They were evacuated on 3 September after the fire moved closer to their habitat.
Four other orangutans—Mama Nopi and her offspring, Nopi, along with two adolescent males named Naufal and Nopan—were rescued from Pemangkat village in North Kayong Regency on 4 September 2026. They had taken refuge in coconut and rubber plantations after fires burned the forest and severed the links between forest areas.
Mama Lifa and her offspring, Lifa, were rescued on 18 September 2026 from Pelang village, Matan Hilir Selatan district, Ketapang Regency. They were found isolated among acacia trees on an area of around 400 square metres, surrounded by oil palm plantations and with few food sources.
Before their release, all eight orangutans underwent health checks, received medical treatment as needed, and were observed at YIARI’s rehabilitation facility in Sungai Awan, Ketapang. All were reported to be healthy and still displaying natural behaviour.