# Eight orangutans freed in Borneo after summer wildfires

> Indonesian authorities release rescued apes back into a protected reserve as habitat destruction from intensified fires threatens the critically endangered species.
- Title: Eight orangutans freed in Borneo after summer wildfires
- Summary: Indonesian authorities release rescued apes back into a protected reserve as habitat destruction from intensified fires threatens the critically endangered…
- Keywords: orangutans, borneo, wildfires, indonesia, conservation, international animal rescue indonesia, el niño, habitat loss, news, world, Eight, freed
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwvgde0m2d73o
- Published: 2026-10-11T19:08:04.829+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: orangutans, borneo, wildfires, indonesia, conservation, international animal rescue indonesia, el niño, habitat loss, news, world
## Eight apes freed after Borneo fires
Three mothers, three daughters and two adult males were released into a reserve in west Borneo on Friday by International Animal Rescue Indonesia and the forestry ministry.
## Forty-six rescued from summer blazes
Indonesian authorities rescued forty-six orangutans from wildfires in August and September. Wildfires in the region are usual during the dry season but intensified this year.
## Species faces steep population decline
Around one hundred four thousand orangutans remain in Borneo and Sumatra, down from more than two hundred thirty thousand a century ago, according to conservation group WWF.
## El Niño intensified this year's fires
This year's wildfires were more intense due to the El Niño ocean warming phenomenon, which makes weather patterns more volatile and intense.
## Three families rescued from danger
Mama Nopi and offspring Nopi, Naufal and Nopan were surviving in a coconut and rubber plantation before rescue in early September. Fires had incinerated surrounding forest, restricting food access.
## Reserve chosen for survival prospects
The reserve has food and water available and connects to other forested areas. Yiari's Argitoe Ranting said rescued orangutans need a chance to survive in their natural habitat.

> We want to ensure that rescued orangutans are not simply moved from one place to another, but actually have a chance to survive in their natural habitat.
## Key takeaway

Eight orangutans rescued from Borneo wildfires in August and September were released into a reserve on Friday after their habitats became unsafe.