Newborn Surili Trapped in Tree During Mount Ciremai Wildfire

Darsa, a farmer and member of the Padabeunghar Fire Care Community (MPA), rescued a baby surili trapped amid a forest and land fire at Puncak Dulang on Mount Ciremai, Kuningan, West Java. The young endemic Javan primate was found weak as flames began to surround the tree where it had taken shelter.

Darsa, who is also known as Dodo, 51, found the animal at about 11pm on Thursday (22 October), while helping to extinguish the fire at an altitude of 1,600 metres above sea level. As he fought the blaze, he heard an animal whimpering. Curious, he approached the sound and saw a white baby surili alone amid the flames.

Dodo said the infant was in a very poor condition when he found it. It was weak after inhaling smoke from the fire for an extended period.

“At around 11 last night, we were putting out the fire at the summit of Mount Dulang. Then I heard some strange sounds; I thought they might be birds. So we checked with a torch and it turned out to be a baby surili. I took it. The tree was already burning, and the surrounding area had been burned,” Dodo said, as quoted by detikJabar on Friday (23 October 2026).

Dodo estimated the baby was about a week old because its umbilical cord was still attached. He suspected its mother had fled to save herself as the fire spread to the branches of the five-metre-tall tree. Since the ground and nearby branches had already burned, Dodo had to cut a branch before he could evacuate the surili.

“There were several dry trees, large and about 30 metres tall. I couldn’t put the fire out because they had to be cut first. The trees had to be felled and cleared before the fire could be dealt with and the surili rescued. When I found it, it was clinging to a branch and was weak. It may have gone a long time without feeding and was struggling to breathe because of the smoke,” Dodo said.