Home / Environment / Orangutan dies from smoke inhalation in Indonesia
Orangutan dies from smoke inhalation in Indonesia
3 Sep
Summary
- An orangutan died from smoke exposure and hypoxia.
- Indonesia's dry season fuels widespread forest fires.
- Over 202,000 hectares burned nationwide from January to July.
Indonesia is grappling with a severe dry season, which has led to extensive forest and land fires across the nation. Between January and July of this year, these fires have scorched approximately 202,004 hectares nationwide. This environmental crisis has had tragic consequences for wildlife, particularly orangutans.
In West Kalimantan, a 20-year-old male orangutan, named Sampurna, was found collapsed in a palm oil plantation. Rescuers from the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency and the Indonesian Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Forest and Wildlife (YIARI) found him struggling to breathe and unable to stand. Despite receiving oxygen and fluids, Sampurna's condition deteriorated, and he died later that day.
A post-mortem examination revealed abnormalities in Sampurna's lungs, heart, and kidneys. These findings are suspected to be linked to prolonged smoke exposure and acute hypoxia, a critical lack of oxygen. Sampurna's death underscores the grave danger forest fires pose to orangutans, whose habitats are increasingly fragmented.
