Orangutans released back into Borneo forest after devastating fires

Eight orangutans have been released back into the wild in Borneo after being rescued from devastating wildfires.

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According to International Animal Rescue Indonesia (Yiari) and the forestry ministry, eight orangutans have been released back into the wild in Borneo after being taken into captivity when their habitat was threatened by wildfires over the summer.

The orangutans, including three mothers and their daughters, as well as two adult males, were freed in a reserve in the west of the island on Friday. Indonesian authorities rescued 46 orangutans from fires in August and September.

Wildfires in the region are usual for the country's dry season but intensified this year due to the El Niño ocean warming phenomenon, which makes weather patterns more volatile and intense. The apes are critically endangered, with around 104,000 orangutans remaining in Borneo and Sumatra, down from more than 230,000 a century ago, according to conservation group WWF.

Yiari CEO Karmele Llano Sanchez said relocating the eight orangutans to the reserve was a 'necessary step' when their habitats became unsafe. The orangutans were rescued from various locations, including a coconut and rubber plantation, and a patch of acacia trees surrounded by oil palm plantations.

The degradation of their habitat by wildfires, as well as a lack of food sources, prompted their rescue. The orangutans were all rescued from wildfires over the summer that threatened their habitats, and were evacuated in early September due to the threat of exposure to the blazes.

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