Orangutan Dies in Borneo After Wildfire Smoke Ravages Lungs

Villagers discovered the primate near Ketapang on August 30, struggling to breathe and unable to stand. Local farmer Jais, who first encountered the animal, provided water before emergency teams from the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the Foundation for International Animal Rescue Indonesia (YIARI) arrived. Despite immediate oxygen therapy and medical intervention at a rehabilitation center, the orangutan’s condition failed to stabilize.

A post-mortem examination revealed severe lung abnormalities, which experts attributed to prolonged inhalation of thick smoke from nearby wildfires. Karmele Llano Sanchez, CEO of YIARI, noted that while the animal showed no external burns, it had been vomiting and suffered from oxygen deprivation. Having been monitored in good health as recently as August 16, Sampurna’s rapid decline highlights the precarious existence of species forced into fragmented landscapes near industrial plantations, where food sources are scarce and fire risks are constant.