Forest Fires in South Kalimantan Kill 11 Proboscis Monkeys, Highlighting Habitat Protection Crisis

Forest and land fires (karhutla) in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, are highlighting a severe crisis in wildlife habitat protection. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, eleven proboscis monkeys were found dead, burned, in Balimau Village, Kalumpang Sub-district, Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency. This tragedy underscores the vulnerability of wildlife when flames engulf their habitats. According to Alamsyah, the head of Balimau Village, residents and officials discovered 11 dead proboscis monkeys, comprising ten adults and one infant. The South Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) reported that 12 proboscis monkeys were affected, along with one python and one king cobra. Alamsyah suspects the fire originated from a neighboring village and spread across the river via embers carried by the wind. The dry vegetation in the area, particularly in the rumbia fields, allowed the flames to spread rapidly. It is believed that the proboscis monkeys had difficulty escaping because the fire was on one side, while residents and officials were gathered on the other. Firefighting efforts were also hampered by drying water sources. Villagers only had portable pumps and had to request assistance and water tanker vehicles from outside the village. Alamsyah stated that requests for the protection of the proboscis monkey habitat had been made since 2016 but had not received a response. He expressed hope that government attention would not only emerge after the animals have died. Similar threats loom over the proboscis monkey habitat in Sungai Rutas Hulu and Sungai Rutas Villages in Tapin Regency. Although no proboscis monkeys were reported as victims in the recent fires, the vegetation that serves as their habitat and food source was burned, and its recovery will take months. From January to September 15, 2026, the South Kalimantan Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded 3,256 fire incidents, affecting an area of 21,696 hectares. Amidst the widespread fires, wildlife protection faces issues of divided authority. BKSDA data from 2025 indicates that 3,757 proboscis monkeys are spread across 11 regencies/cities, with only 1,281 individuals residing within protected areas. This article was originally published on Mongabay.