en.malanginspirasi.com – A critically endangered orangutan named Sempurna has died from smoke inhalation amid ongoing wildfires in Kalimantan.
This tragedy is marking the first confirmed death of its kind in the current fire season, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry confirmed on September 3.
On August 30, rescue teams in Laman Satong Village, West Kalimantan, found the weakened primate and immediately administered oxygen and fluids in an effort to stabilize him before transport.
Despite these interventions, Sempurna succumbed to severe respiratory distress caused by prolonged exposure to thick haze from the blazes.
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The incident is the seventh orangutan rescue operation in recent weeks as El Niño-driven drought and land-clearing activities fuel widespread fires across Kalimantan.
Conservationists say the death underscores the growing threat to wildlife as smoke blankets vast areas of habitat in both Indonesia and Malaysia.
While Sempurna’s case ended in tragedy, other recent rescues have been more successful.
A mother orangutan named Raya and her infant Rayu were safely recovered and are now under care, offering a rare positive note amid the crisis.
Authorities and conservation groups continue to monitor the situation, warning that the combination of drought and human-driven land clearing is intensifying habitat loss and putting additional pressure on already vulnerable orangutan populations.
