Eight Orangutans Released Back Into Wild After Borneo Wildfires

Borneo authorities release eight orangutans into Batu Nyambu forest after wildfires threatened their survival.

October 12, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Borneo, Indonesia — Eight orangutans have been successfully returned to the wild following a multi-hour journey after being rescued from the destructive wildfires that swept through Borneo this summer.

The group, consisting of three mothers, their three offspring, and two juvenile males, were released into the Batu Nyambu protected forest on Friday. The relocation involved a six-hour car ride, a one-hour boat trip, and a two-hour trek through the jungle, with the animals transported in cages on bamboo poles.

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Before the release, conservationists confirmed the orangutans were healthy and ready for life in the wild. The effort was part of a broader initiative to protect the critically endangered species, which has seen its population decline significantly due to habitat loss, poaching, and wildfires. The fires, exacerbated by the El Niño climate phenomenon, forced the rescue of 46 great apes between August and September this year.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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