MUM, BABY AND BACK TO THE TREES! EIGHT ORANGUTANS RETURN TO THE WILD

This was no easy journey: returning to the forest meant travelling by road, river and foot. But the destination mattered. Eight Bornean orangutans rescued from fire-affected areas in West Kalimantan have been released into Indonesia’s protected Batu Nyambu forest. ANTARA reported the news on 10 October 2026.

Three mums, three babies and two youngsters

The group includes three mother-and-infant pairs and two juvenile males. Mama Man and baby Man were evacuated from Tempurukan on 3 September as fire moved closer. The following day, rescuers brought Mama Nopi, Nopi, Naufal and Nopan to safety from coconut and rubber plantations.

Mama Lifa and Lifa were rescued on 18 September. They had become isolated in roughly 400 square metres of trees surrounded by oil-palm plantations. Four hundred square metres: a world that had suddenly become very small.

Health checks before the big return

Indonesian foundation YIARI cared for them at its Sungai Awan facility in Ketapang. Health checks, treatment where needed and observation came first: the team needed to establish that the animals were healthy and still displaying natural behaviour.

Their new home is a protected forest of around 23,000 hectares, offering food, water and connections to neighbouring forest areas. The orangutans were released in stages at locations about 80 metres apart to reduce disturbance.

A happy ending needs a forest

YIARI operations director Argitoe Ranting explained that fires were still burning when the statement was issued, and safe places for displaced animals remained limited. Their release is good news; protecting their habitat is the work that continues.

In Genesis 9:10, God’s covenant includes every living creature. These eight orangutans help us remember that creation stretches far beyond our own gardens. Learning about the people who protect it is one way to begin caring for it ourselves.