TOP has had an urgent request for funds from The Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop) in Central Kalimantan to help with out of control forest fires in Kalimantan.
Dr Simon Husson, Founder of OuTrop quotes: ‘The fires are raging again in Kalimantan and I’ve just returned from Palangkaraya where I’ve seen first-hand the plumes of smoke arising from burning land up and down the highways. I spent some time talking with the Patrol Team on how we will tackle the fires. In the Natural Laboratory the patrol team has already extinguished two fires that were on the forest edge and there are reports of fires further south in the National Park. In Kalampangan in the eastern Sabangau catchment, the patrol team is now working around the clock to stop a fire that has entered the forest there.
Yet again, this fire-fighting team is one of the few out there on a daily basis to patrol and fight the fires. It has become very clear that 2014 is not just a brief fire season but could develop into a very serious one, and therefore I’m writing now to urgently request any further support you may be able to give. A larger team is needed out in the field to cover the 24 hour shifts needed, replace and add equipment and save as much of the forest as possible. The threat to the forest feels as great as I can remember.’
TOP is asking our supporters to donate funds to help fight these disastrous fires that threaten the precious Sabangau habitat and its orangutan population. Please donate if you can.
