JAKARTA — Eight endangered orangutans displaced by wildfires in Indonesian Borneo were relocated to a protected forest in West Kalimantan province earlier this month, according to a local conservation group.

The orangutans, which include three mothers with infants and two adolescent males, were rescued from areas severely affected by wildfires in Ketapang and North Kayong regencies during August and September. The fires destroyed large portions of their natural habitat, disrupting habitat corridors and limiting access to food sources.

As a result, the animals were forced into nearby plantations in search of sustenance and shelter, placing them in closer proximity to human activity. Heribertus Suciadi, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Nature Rehabilitation Initiative Foundation, stated the orangutans showed no visible signs of burns, wounds, or other critical injuries, but appeared malnourished and dehydrated.

The group was moved on October 8 to Batu Nyambu protected forest, a safer and more suitable environment designed to support their recovery and long-term survival. One notable rescue was that of a female orangutan, referred to as Mama Man, along with her infant, Man. They had been closely monitored for several months while confined to a small forest patch surrounded by plantations, where ongoing fires and heavy smoke made it impossible for them to return to larger forest areas.

The relocation aims to provide the orangutans with secure habitat and access to natural food sources, helping to mitigate the impacts of the recent wildfires on the already threatened species. Conservationists continue to monitor the situation, emphasizing the importance of protecting remaining forests from further fires and habitat loss.