You may have seen the news. Wildfires are tearing through Borneo and Sumatra, fed by one of the driest seasons Indonesia has felt in years.
Scientists are calling it a Godzilla El Niño. The flames are spreading fast, and precious rainforests are in their path.
Our teams are on the ground 24/7, working closely with local fire-response crews, and doing everything they can to fight the fires and rescue vulnerable orangutans from danger.
And right now, fires are threatening the rainforests surrounding our BORA rescue centre in East Kalimantan.
But because you stand with orangutans, our teams were ready.
Months before the first flames appeared, your support was already at work, helping our teams prepare for the crisis. Your kindness helped train our teams in fire-frighting response, stockpile emergency equipment, build water storage, and strengthen ties with the local community, so we would be ready to respond when disaster struck.
Outbreak by outbreak, the fires surrounding BORA have been contained.
Flames that could have reached the rescue centre, and every orangutan inside it, never got the chance.
While the fires near BORA are out for now, the threat is not over. Thousands of fires still burn throughout Indonesia, threatening precious orangutan habitat.
Extreme drought and dry weather mean that fires can reignite at any moment, without warning. New hotspots can flare anywhere, anytime. Smoke still hangs heavy over BORA, a serious health risk to orangutans and staff.
The fire season is expected to peak in October. With your help, our teams will remain on the ground, ready and equipped to defend the rainforests that shelter the orangutans in our care, and the people who've dedicated their lives to protecting them.
Thank you for being here, and for being a pillar of strength for orangutans, our brave teams on the ground, and the rainforests that we all depend on.
Orangutans need you now more than ever, and I cannot thank you enough for your kind support.
Program: APE Crusader Team
Location: East Borneo, Indonesia
Program Partner: This program is a collaboration with our partners at Centre for Orangutan Protection and the Ministry of Forestry 🌳