A baby orangutan rescued in a Borneo forest is winning hearts and raising awareness of the devastating wildfires that have been plaguing Indonesia for months. The baby, Irene, “looked extremely stressed and very thin,” says wildlife veterinarian Dr. Karmele Llano Sanchez. “She may have gone for days without finding any food in this devastated forest.”

Dr. Karmele is the CEO of YIARI, an organization partnering with International Animal Rescue in response to the fires. Irene and her mother were brought to YIARI’s rehabilitation center for medical attention, care, and safety.

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Fires add more danger for the already endangered orangutans

Orangutans live exclusively in the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, islands in Southeast Asia that make up parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. All three species of orangutan, Bornean, Sumatran, and........

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