When Forests Burn, Wildlife Habitats Vanish
Kalimantan is known as one of the regions possessing extremely high biodiversity. The forests on this island are not only a place for various plant species to grow but also serve as a home to many animals, such as the Bornean orangutan, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, hornbills, and various other species. However, when forest and land fires occur, the homes of these animals are also threatened.
Forest and land fires do not only produce smoke that disturbs humans. The fire also destroys trees, food sources, shelters, and the paths used by animals to move from one area to another. This damage causes animals to lose their habitats and forces them to seek new territories to survive. The Central Kalimantan Forestry Service stated that habitat damage due to forest and land fires can cause animals to lose shelter, food sources, and breeding locations.
One of the animals most heavily impacted is the Bornean orangutan. This species is highly dependent on the forest for foraging, shelter, and breeding. When their habitat burns, orangutans can be pushed out of the forest areas and towards plantations or human settlements.
This was evident in an incident in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, in August 2026. Three orangutans were found in a plantation area bordering human settlements after fires destroyed the part of the forest that served as their movement corridor. Food sources were lost, and the paths to other forest areas were severed. The three orangutans were subsequently evacuated by a joint team to be moved to a safer location.
It is not only orangutans facing threats. Proboscis monkeys, hornbills, sun bears, pangolins, and even several types of fish that depend on peatland ecosystems can be affected by habitat destruction. Repeated fires can cause habitats to become increasingly fragmented and reduce the ecosystem’s ability to recover naturally.
The problem is that when forests burn, the loss does not always end once the fire is successfully extinguished. Trees that serve as food sources require time to regrow. Areas that serve as shelters also need time to recover. Meanwhile, animals must continue to survive and search for food amidst increasingly limited habitats.
Forest fires in Kalimantan in 2026 demonstrate that this issue remains a serious threat. The government has even increased firefighting efforts in several regions of Kalimantan because fires have spread across forest and peatland areas. Dry conditions and weather that supports the spread of fire increase the risk of fire.
Therefore, protecting the forest does not only mean protecting trees. Protecting the forest means protecting the homes of various living creatures that cannot speak to ask for help. When one forest area is lost, what is lost is not just a green landscape, but also a place to live, a food source, and an opportunity for wildlife to survive.
We may not be able to extinguish all fires or save all animals on our own. However, we can help protect the environment by not engaging in indiscriminate burning, not disposing of objects that can trigger fires, and by supporting forest conservation and restoration efforts.
Because, for us, the forest may only look like a collection of trees. But for animals, the forest is home. And when that home burns, where should they go?