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Borneo forest fires threaten orangutan populations
Severe forest fires on the Indonesian island of Borneo, exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, have destroyed more than 200,000 hectares of forest. The fires, which also affect Sumatra and Papua, have forced the evacuation of over 200 wild animals on Borneo alone.
In recent rescue efforts, an emaciated 20-year-old female orangutan was captured and stabilized after being found in a burnt landscape. Additionally, eight rescued orangutans were recently released back into a carefully selected habitat with sufficient food and water to ensure their survival. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has warned that these fires threaten habitats containing more than 50 percent of Borneo's orangutan population.
The environmental crisis has caused thick smoke to reach Malaysia and Singapore, leading to school closures and health warnings. In response to the crisis, a coalition of indigenous groups in West Kalimantan has filed a class-action lawsuit against the government of President Prabowo Subianto, alleging a lack of preparation for the disaster.
Entities
Borneo · Indonesia · International Union for Conservation of Nature · Prabowo Subianto · WWF
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] El Niño exacerbated a dry season that threatened more than half of the remaining primate habitats on Borneo. www.hna.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.merkur.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Eight endangered orangutans were released back into the wild on Borneo. www.hna.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.merkur.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] There are approximately 104,000 orangutans remaining worldwide. www.hna.de · www.mannheim24.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Rescue efforts in August and September secured a total of 46 orangutans from forest fires. www.hna.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.merkur.de