Jakarta, ThedailyID — An orangutan was found collapsed and struggling to breathe at a palm oil plantation in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on Sunday (August 30), as forest and land fires continued to spread across parts of Indonesia.
A local farmer named Jais discovered the animal while heading to his farm. The orangutan was lying on the ground in a weak condition near an area affected by the fires.
“It was very weak, then I gave it water,” Jais told Reuters, Monday (31/08).
Residents quickly contacted a wildlife foundation for help. About two hours later, the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) arrived with a veterinarian to treat the animal, which had fainted by the time rescuers reached the site.
The orangutan was later named Sampurna, after the village where it was found.
Struggling to Breathe
YIARI CEO Karmele Llano Sanchez said Sampurna suffered from hypoxia, a condition in which the body does not receive enough oxygen, after being exposed to thick smoke.
“The orangutan got hypoxia because of the very thick smoke in the area,” Sanchez told Reuters.
Veterinarian Komara said the approximately 20-year-old orangutan did not suffer serious burns. However, it experienced breathing difficulties and vomiting, raising concerns about an acute respiratory infection.
At the plantation, veterinarians provided oxygen through small tubes placed in Sampurna’s nose and administered fluids through an intravenous drip.
The orangutan will be transferred to a rehabilitation center for further treatment and is expected to return to the wild after recovering.
Fires Threaten Wildlife
Indonesia recorded at least 202,010 hectares of burned land between January and July, according to the Forestry Ministry. The figure increased sharply from 107,465 hectares recorded between January and June.
Fires across Borneo and Sumatra have also produced thick haze, triggering respiratory illnesses and forcing thousands of students to attend classes online, including in neighboring Malaysia.
Sanchez warned that authorities need to look beyond fire suppression and prepare for the longer-term effects on public health, forests and wildlife.
Sampurna is not the only orangutan affected. Komara said rescuers have so far saved seven orangutans because of the fires.
