These apes aren’t just endangered. They’re also in danger. In August and September, wildfires destroyed their homes. The orangutans live on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. 

Three mothers. Three infants. Two young males. People rescued them all. Last week, they released the eight apes into a protected forest. 

The wildfires cut off “habitat corridors.” Those paths connect orangutan habitats. These apes couldn’t find food. They wandered onto people’s plantations. They wanted dinner. And shelter. 

Heribertus Suciadi is spokesman for the Indonesian Nature Rehabilitation Initiative Foundation (YIARI). “They had no burns, open wounds, broken bones, or other life-threatening injuries,” he says. The creatures did seem to be suffering though. They were very hungry and thirsty.

People wanted to make sure the apes would be able to survive in the new spot. Veterinarians checked them. Were they healthy enough to return to the wild? Yep.

El Niño brought dry weather to Indonesia this year. That worsens fires. As forest fires spread, the apes have fewer places to live.

Did you know that three governments rule parts of Borneo? A smaller part of that island belongs to Malaysia. A very tiny piece belongs to Brunei.

As of Saturday, people had saved more than 270 wild animals in Indonesia’s part of Borneo. That includes 46 orangutans that YIARI rescued.