Orangutan mother and infant rescued from burned oil palm plantation in West Kalimantan
A mother orangutan and her baby were saved from a fire-scarred patch of oil palm plantation in Pelang Village after locals alerted authorities.
On Sept. 16, villagers in Pelang Village, Matan Hilir Selatan District, notified the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency about two orangutans surviving among a few acacia trees within a 400-square-meter clearing surrounded by oil palm farms. The following day, staff from the Ketapang Region Conservation Section and YIARI’s Orangutan Protection Unit confirmed the pair were trapped in a burned patch with limited food.
Using a tranquilizer gun, rescuers evacuated the mother and her infant on Sept. 18. Medical checks found no burns, but the mother suffered a 39.5 °C fever and was given IV fluids and oxygen; the infant, Lifa, is about one to two months old. BKSDA head Murlan Dameria Pane praised the quick public report and urged communities to notify authorities rather than attempt self-rescue in fire-prone zones.
Why it matters
The rescue highlights the vulnerability of orangutans in degraded habitats and the importance of community reporting for wildlife protection.
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