The apes were probably shot as they fled the blazing forests of Kalimanatan, the WWF said. Their young are often taken to be sold on the illegal wildlife market. Twenty-nine orphaned and hungry orangutans were found in several villages and near roads after escaping from the forests.

There are about 30 000 orangutans in Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, and Sumatra, who face a bleak future as their territory dwindles away.

Satellite images of the two islands show "major forest destruction" and only about two percent of their original habitat remains, much of it in areas being ravaged by fire.

Javan and Sumatran rhinos and the Sumatran tiger, described by conservationists as "critically endangered", are in an equally perilous situation. Indonesia says the fires have burnt 70 000 hectares of forests and plantations but sources with access to satellite images put the figure at 600 000 to 800 000 hectares.

Webmaster's note:
As if they don't have enough problems to deal with already!