Wildfire came within metres of rescued orangutans; 60 animals moved

Firefighters carry their equipment as they attempt to extinguish a wildfire on a peatland field in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Hatta) Orangutans rescued from wildlife traffickers face a new threat from the record number of fires that have broken out in Indonesia in recent weeks. According to a report by The Guardian, flames have come within metres of an animal rehabilitation centre in West Kalimantan as hot, dry and windy conditions have been amplified by a powerful El Niño and the human-driven climate crisis. In the first 13 days of August, Indonesia registered more than three times more forest fire hotspots than in the whole of the same month last year. This followed a record number of blazes between January and July. West Kalimantan has been at the epicentre. After 40 days without rain, there have been dozens of severe outbreaks of fire in the region.A race against the flamesFlames threatened the Yiari orangutan rehabilitation centre this week. The fire moved rapidly from 1km away to within 100 metres of the perimeter within days, prompting staff to relocate the 60 resident orangutans to enclosures in the middle of the centre.I...