Satellite detections show active fires across parts of Borneo and Sumatra. OCI’s live map tracks recent fire activity alongside orangutan range so you can see where habitat may be at risk. The 2026 fire season is still developing, and in forests and peatlands the impact can extend after the burn through habitat loss, smouldering peat, smoke and regional haze.
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On August 3, 1978, I carried a four-year-old orangutan named Princess from Camp Leakey into the nearby swamp forest. I had arrived at the research camp only a month earlier to study whether orangutans could learn and use signs to communicate.
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In 1971, Biruté Galdikas and I embarked on a project, funded primarily by the National Geographic Society and the Louis Leakey Foundation, to study wild orangutans in Borneo. We chose Tanjung Puting Nature Reserve as the study area for the project. Our camp was located in the forest along the Sekonyer River. The nearest town was Kumai, on the south coast of central Borneo, which is the starting point for the boat trip to the reserve.
Read Akmad’s Story
In 2017, we returned to the rainforests of Kalimantan to search for an orangutan I had known since childhood. Princess was already believed to be gone by then. Nobody had seen her for several months, and there was concern that she might have fallen ill. Our search became part of the Animal Planet documentary Raised Human.
Read Princess’s StoryPeople who care about orangutans and conservation are often asked to donate, adopt, volunteer, travel, or change what they buy. But not every option has the same impact. Our guides explain what responsible support can look like, what questions to ask, and how to avoid choices that may cause harm. Informed choices can help protect forests, strengthen local communities, and give orangutans a better chance to remain in the wild.
See Orangutans in the Wild
