World Animal Day: See the Forest Fires Through an Orangutan’s Eyes

Imagine carrying your baby to safety while the forest around you burns. 

The air is thick with smoke, the ground scorches your feet, and familiar routes to food and shelter have disappeared.

For orangutans in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan, this is a heartbreaking reality.

This year’s World Animal Day, on 4 October, carries the theme “See the World Through Their Eyes”. 

International Animal Rescue (IAR), based in Sussex, is urging us to do exactly that as its Indonesian partner, Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI), responds to devastating forest fires.

IAR’s current appeal reports that YIARI has rescued 38 orangutans from the fires. Behind that number are individual animals, including mothers desperately trying to keep their babies alive.

Among them is Mama Penja, rescued with her infant after they were found weak and severely undernourished. She had serious burns to both feet, thought to have resulted from walking across burning peat soil. Veterinary staff administered oxygen and fluids before taking the pair to the rescue centre for intensive care.

Another mother, Mama Man, was evacuated with her baby after fires left them isolated, with nowhere safe to escape. Although she had no visible burns, her infant showed worrying signs of smoke exposure.

These stories bring the scale of the emergency painfully close. A forest is an orangutan’s home, food supply, shelter and network of safe routes. When it burns, all of those essentials can vanish together.

Animals driven into plantations and closer to communities face further dangers, including hunger, injury and conflict with people. Smoke adds another threat, damaging the lungs of wildlife and affecting the communities living nearby.

IAR chief executive Gavin Bruce says a mother orangutan’s world should be somewhere she can find food and protect her baby. Instead, rescue teams are finding mothers and youngsters surrounded by fire and struggling to breathe.

YIARI works with authorities and local communities to locate animals in danger. Emergency treatment is vital, but so is protecting the remaining forest and preventing further fires, giving survivors somewhere safe to return.

For That’s Green readers, World Animal Day offers a moment to look beyond the flames and recognise the lives caught within them.

If you can help, consider supporting the rescue appeal or sharing it with others. Compassion begins with seeing their world; action can help protect it.

Find out more and support the International Animal Rescue Urgent Fire Crisis Fund.

https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/appeal/urgent-fire-crisis-fund

Peek-A-Bear! Rescued mum and dad wake baby bear following her first hibernation

One year on ‘The great bear rescue’ family successfully hibernate in Armenia.

A year ago, International Animal Rescue (IAR) took part in the rescue of three Syrian brown bears, Aram, Nairi and their young daughter Lola. 

Today, IAR are happy to report that the bears have successfully undergone their first-ever natural hibernation period in the sanctuary, thanks to the expert care they received following their rescue.

When their colleagues at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) discovered Aram and Nairi confined to filthy cages in someone’s backyard in Yerevan, Armenia, they had suffered years of appalling abuse. 

The pair were denied even basic husbandry and Nairi was regularly bred with by the owner to produce cubs which were sold on.

Little girl bear Lola was kept imprisoned with them and her mother, having been born in captivity. This winter, after months of recuperating from their rescue at FPWC’s wildlife rescue centre with support from International Animal Rescue, all three of these bears have been able to undergo their first-ever proper winter rest periods – a sure sign that they have physically recovered from their ordeal and learned to trust that rescue teams will keep them safe.

Confined to filthy cages and denied even the most basic of care, the bears were discovered during an investigation by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) following a public tip-off.

Their rescue saw FPWC and International Animal Rescue coming together to secure their freedom. Described by International Animal Rescue (IAR) as their “most difficult rescue to date”, it took over 12 hours. The rescue involved a court-ordered confiscation, police intervention, and transport under heavy rain and during darkness.

This difficult rescue started when the team arrived at the property at 9 am, but the bear’s owner refused entry despite a legal order. 

After a prolonged standoff, they finally gained access as night fell and worked into the night to sedate and remove the bears from their appalling conditions.

Alan Knight OBE, President of International Animal Rescue was on the ground to witness their their rescue.

Alan told That's Green: “This difficult rescue started when the team arrived at the property at 9 am, but the bear’s owner refused entry despite a legal order. After a prolonged standoff, they finally gained access as night fell and worked into the night to sedate and remove the bears from their appalling conditions. 

"These bears had clearly suffered for many years and these were some of the worst conditions I have ever seen. The stench, the filth, the sheer cruelty of locking these animals up in tiny cages."

Today, thanks to veterinary care and round-the-clock specialist care at FPWC’s wildlife rescue centre, just a few months after the rescue, all three bears have been able to settle into their new home. 

“To see them happy and healthy, knowing they have a future now, makes everything we went through worth it. Completing their first hibernation and exhibiting these natural behaviours is an incredible sight. We are so grateful to the FPWC team and all of our donors and supporters for making this a reality.”

Donate to the bear appeal here https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/appeal/bearfamily.

Charity Urges People to ‘Step Up for the Planet’ and Take Part in 2025 Rainforest Run

This September, hundreds of people across the world will lace up their trainers for the Rainforest Run 2025, International Animal Rescue’s (IAR) global virtual challenge to protect rainforests and the wildlife that depend on them.

“It’s the perfect challenge for anyone wanting to start running”, Jeanette from International Animal Rescue told That's Green.

“Participants can run, jog or walk 5km and raising money is a great motivation to keep going.”

Following last year’s success, with hundreds of participants running, jogging, and walking to raise vital funds, the movement is gaining momentum. Already, over 100 runners are registered for 2025, with more joining daily. So far for the 2025 Rainforest Run, participants have raised £2,180, planted 436 trees, and taken the first steps toward this year’s ambitious fundraising goal.

Team Orangutan Heads Into Action

This year, Team Orangutan will be led by The Kid Conservationist, whose passion and energy inspire young people everywhere to take action for the environment.

Meanwhile, wellness entrepreneur Valerie Orsoni @valerieorsoni will take on the challenge in a spectacular way, leading a team of ten women on The Rainforest Run while trekking through the rainforest to Kilimanjaro’s base camp. Their journey is a powerful symbol of commitment, courage, and solidarity for the planet.

Why It Matters

Rainforests are often described as the lungs of the Earth, absorbing carbon, producing oxygen, and providing a home for millions of species. Yet they are under constant threat from deforestation and climate change. The Rainforest Run gives everyone, everywhere, the chance to be part of the solution.

“By signing up, you’re not just running a distance, you’re running for the future of our planet,” said Gavin Bruce, CEO of International Animal Rescue. “Every step, every pound or dollar raised, and every tree planted brings us closer to protecting ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. We’re thrilled to see so many individuals, families, and teams join this year’s event.”

How It Works

On Sunday 28th September 2025, participants around the world will run, jog, or walk 5k or 10k in their own communities while raising funds to protect rainforests. Whether you’re an individual, part of a group, or even bringing along a four-legged friend, the event is designed for everyone.

There is a £10/$13 registration fee.

https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org