Critically endangered Bornean orangutan dies after inhaling smoke from Indonesia fires

Sampurna, an adult male Bornean orangutan, died after rescuers found him weak and struggling to breathe near a fire in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province.

The orangutan was discovered on Sunday in an oil-palm plantation and died the same day, according to the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency. A rescue team from Indonesia’s forestry ministry and the Yiari rehabilitation foundation administered first aid, including intravenous fluids, before taking him to the nonprofit’s rehabilitation center.

His condition continued to worsen. The agency said his breathing became increasingly shallow and his oxygen saturation could no longer be detected. After he showed signs of respiratory arrest, the team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but declared him dead and attributed the death to smoke inhalation. Images released on Monday showed rescuers examining Sampurna, giving him oxygen and medication, and cleaning his mouth.

The Bornean orangutan, or Pongo pygmaeus, is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its population has fallen sharply in recent decades as human activity puts pressure on its natural habitat.

Indonesia is battling hundreds of fires across the country, most of them on Sumatra and Borneo. The smoke has forced more than 12,000 schools to close and reached neighboring countries. The National Disaster Management Agency detected 182 new fires in the previous 24 hours, bringing the number of active hotspots to 659. Authorities last week sanctioned six companies over fires on land they managed in Borneo, where agricultural burning and smoldering peat can allow fires to persist for months during the dry season.