BORNEO BURNS: Endangered Orangutans Rescued From Raging Wildfires...

A young female orangutan named Novita was found clinging to a charred tree in Central Kalimantan with burned hands and feet after wildfires swept across Borneo this year, joining dozens of apes rescued from the flames. El Niño has intensified Indonesia's dry season, allowing fires to consume over 896,000 hectares by late August—nearly double government estimates—while water shortages have crippled firefighting efforts. Rescuers brought Novita to a rehabilitation center for treatment, though another male orangutan, Sampurna, died shortly after being rescued from a palm plantation. Officials say the fires threaten not just the apes but entire forest ecosystems across Indonesia's portion of Borneo and parts of Sumatra.