Injured Orangutan rescued from Indonesia wildfires

Wildfires in Indonesia have led to the rescue of an injured orangutan pair, Mama Abu and Abu, from an oil palm subsidiary estate.

The mother and her eight-month-old baby were found dehydrated and thin, with the mother's hands peeling from walking on the torched ground.

Primate specialists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have called for urgent international assistance to help control the fires.

The IUCN warns that thousands of orangutans could be killed, injured, or displaced due to the fires, which are devouring Indonesia's forests and peatland.

The fires have also taken hold across peatland, which is extremely hard to extinguish as it smoulders underground.

Habitat containing 52% of the total Bornean orangutan population is now affected by the fires, according to a statement from the IUCN's primate specialists.

The fires have also spread into the habitats of five gibbon species, all of which are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Even animals that survive the catastrophe can face long-term consequences, including food availability falls and the risk of conflict between animals.

Experts believe that there will also be health impacts for animals that have lived with months of dense smog.

So far, more than 20 orangutans, as well as other species such as pangolin, have been evacuated from the fires by Yiari, a non-profit focused on primate and habitat conservation.