00:03Snaking through a small, isolated pocket of forest in an area devastated by fires, these
00:11rangers and rescuers are searching for an orangutan that's become trapped.
00:18High up in the treetops, a mother, along with her young baby, taking care they sedate it
00:25and bring the pair down. They check the animals aren't injured and move them for treatment.
00:34Dr Kumara tells me the conditions near the orangutans were alarming and an immediate
00:40rescue was necessary.
00:42These rescues are tough and difficult work. Here they're giving medical check-ups to this
00:48orangutan and its baby before they take it back to the rehabilitation centre. This is
00:53predicted to be a long fire season, so there could be many more rescues like this one to
00:58come.
00:58This group has already rescued 15 orangutans in recent weeks. A super El Niño is supercharging
01:06drought and fire conditions across the region.
01:11Heribertus Suchiadi is part of the animal rescue team. He says if this weather continues, the
01:19fires will keep burning and they will need to continue rescuing orangutans because their
01:24habitat is being destroyed. Many of these fires are deliberately lit to clear land. More than
01:31100 people have been arrested for arson. Nearby where the orangutan was rescued, the ABC found
01:38evidence oil palms had recently been planted after the fire. The fires have smothered the region
01:45in smoke. One orangutan was found with severe respiratory conditions from smoke inhalation.
01:53It died a few days later.
01:55Orangutans have no way to save themselves from this toxic haze. So I wouldn't be surprised
02:03that there were more orangutans suffering from respiratory illnesses.
02:07The rescuers hope to release these orangutans and others soon, but say right now it's too
02:14dangerous with their habitat on fire.
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