A mother orangutan named Mama Abu and her eight-month-old baby Abu were rescued from wildfires in Indonesia last month. The fires, driven by a strong El Niño, have devastated forests and peatland, destroying the habitat of orangutans and other endangered species. The mother's hands were peeling from walking on scorched ground, and the baby was dehydrated and thin.
Wildfires occur every year in Indonesia, but this year's El Niño has brought exceptionally dry conditions, causing fires to spread rapidly across Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua. Peatland, which is usually waterlogged, has been drained for agriculture, making it highly flammable and difficult to extinguish. The IUCN's primate specialists warned that thousands of orangutans could be killed or displaced.
Rescue teams from Yiari and the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency have evacuated over 20 orangutans, as well as other species like pangolins. One rescued orangutan died, likely from smoke inhalation. Others were found with burns or were hungry and dehydrated. Dr. Karmele Llano Sanchez, a veterinarian, said the toll on wildlife is huge. Long-term effects include food scarcity and increased conflict among displaced animals.
Sources: theguardian.com
The words in bold are from the article.
| 1. rescued | a. threatened |
| 2. devastated | b. saved |
| 3. endangered | c. relocated |
| 4. exceptionally | d. breathing in |
| 5. flammable | e. unusually |
| 6. extinguish | f. destroyed |
| 7. displaced | g. shortage |
| 8. evacuated | h. removed |
| 9. inhalation | i. combustible |
| 10. scarcity | j. put out |
1.b 2.f 3.a 4.e 5.i 6.j 7.c 8.h 9.d 10.g