Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Orangutan Rescued From Borneo Fire Zone Battles Respiratory Illness
A forest fire in Indonesia created very thick smoke.
A farmer found an orangutan lying weakly near a palm-oil plantation.
The animal was named Sampurna.
Rescuers said Sampurna had not received enough oxygen because of the smoke.
The orangutan also had trouble breathing and had vomited.
Veterinarians gave it oxygen and fluids.
Sampurna will go to a rehabilitation center for more care.
If it gets better, rescuers hope to return it to the wild.
Farmer Jais found a weak orangutan near a fire-affected palm-oil plantation in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.
Rescuers named the approximately 20-year-old orangutan Sampurna after the village where it was discovered.
Veterinarians said thick smoke caused hypoxia, breathing problems and suspected acute respiratory infection.
Sampurna received oxygen and intravenous fluids and will be moved to a rehabilitation center.
Indonesia recorded at least 202,010 hectares of burned land from January through July, while haze caused respiratory illness and disrupted schools.
- Who
- Farmer Jais, wildlife rescuers from Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia, veterinarians and the orangutan Sampurna.
- What
- An orangutan was rescued from a fire zone and treated for smoke-related hypoxia and respiratory problems.
- When
- Jais found the orangutan on Sunday morning; the report was published on August 30.
- Where
- Near a palm-oil plantation in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on Indonesia’s Borneo island.
- Why
- Thick smoke from forest and land fires left the orangutan with insufficient oxygen and breathing difficulties.
- Orangutan’s name
- Sampurna, named after the village where it was found
- Estimated age
- Around 20 years old
- Condition
- Hypoxia, breathing problems and suspected acute respiratory infection; no severe burn-related injuries were reported
- Treatment
- Oxygen delivered through nasal tubes and fluids through an intravenous drip
- Rescue plan
- Transfer to a rehabilitation center, with release into the wild planned after recovery
- Rescues linked to fires
- The veterinarian said seven orangutans had been rescued because of fires
- Burned land
- At least 202,010 hectares burned in Indonesia from January through July
- Public impact
- Haze triggered respiratory illnesses and forced thousands of schools to move classes online, including in neighboring Malaysia