KETAPANG, thekabarnews.com—A joint conservation team rescued an unconscious adult male orangutan near a community-owned oil palm plantation in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. This happened as thick smoke from nearby forest and land fires blanketed the area.

Residents first reported the orangutan at about 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 30. Officers from the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the International Animal Rescue Foundation Indonesia (YIARI) responded to Laman Satong village in North Matan Hilir district.

The team named the animal Sampurna. When rescuers reached the plantation, they found him weak and unresponsive, according to a joint BKSDA-YIARI press statement.

“This morning, we received information from residents about an orangutan near the plantation,” said Sarbandi, an officer with BKSDA’s Ketapang conservation section.

“We immediately checked the location and found the orangutan in a weakened condition. We suspect the forest and land fires forced the animal from its habitat into the plantation area,” he added.

Rescuers sedated Sampurna to protect the animal and local residents and personnel during the evacuation. YIARI veterinarians administered oxygen and intravenous fluids after detecting respiratory problems.

Their initial examination found no open wounds or burns. The medical team suspected that prolonged exposure to dense smoke may have affected Sampurna’s breathing.

Fires had burned near the location one day earlier, and rescuers could still see thick smoke during the operation.

“Smoke from forest and land fires [karhutla] contains particles and substances that can enter the respiratory tract and disrupt lung function,” YIARI veterinarian Komara said.

Komara said severe exposure could cause respiratory distress and hypoxia. Hypoxia is a condition in which the body does not receive enough oxygen.

He stressed that veterinarians still needed further tests before confirming the cause of Sampurna’s condition. They also needed more tests before determining the extent of any internal damage.

The team transferred Sampurna to YIARI’s Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Sungai Awan Kiri. Veterinarians will examine his lungs and other organs before deciding on further treatment.

BKSDA and YIARI said Sampurna became the seventh orangutan they had rescued in Ketapang during August. This has occurred as forest and land fires threatened wildlife habitat.

That figure comes from the joint press statement. However, it had not been separately published in the official sources reviewed for this article.

YIARI Operations Director Argitoe Ranting said the organization had placed its medical and rescue teams on 24-hour standby.

“Sampurna’s case shows that the impact of forest and land fires on wildlife does not always appear as burn injuries. Smoke exposure can also cause serious health problems,” Argitoe said.

The wider fire emergency provides context for the rescue. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded more than 2,610 hotspots across West Kalimantan on August 25. The agency also classified Ketapang as a high-priority response area.

BNPB separately identified 64 active fire points and deployed more than 2,700 ground personnel, according to its BNPB official.

Bornean orangutans are protected under Indonesian law. The Forestry Ministry’s conservation authority also lists the species as critically endangered. It is included in CITES Appendix I, the category covering species most threatened by international trade.

Sampurna will remain under veterinary observation. Rescuers will assess whether his condition permits rehabilitation and an eventual return to suitable habitat.