I just read about the fierce fires burning all across Indonesia and how they are affecting orangutans, leopards, tigers, sun bears, gibbons, and human children. These precious species are in peril, as are one-third of the world’s orangutans at risk from fires and sprawling, heavy smoke in Sumatra and Borneo. As many of you know, orangutans are in danger of becoming extinct, and their numbers are fewer than 70,000. Fires have been raging for months, burning precious forest where these animals live. Many people are struggling to put out the fires and save the land. Sadly, the fires are not easy to extinguish because they linger underground in the peat. As soon as the fires are put out they appear, almost as if by magic, in another location. Hopes were pinned on the start of the rainy season at the end of October which was expected to completely eradicate the fires. Unfortunately, NASA and other climate watchers announced the rains will not come until some point between January and March of 2016.

Orangutan organizations and rescue groups need your help. They require hoses, buckets, protective gear, and heavy machinery so they can increase their fire-fighting efforts. If the forests go up in flames there will be nowhere for the animals to go. Already, so many have died from smoke inhalation. Orangutans, leopards and tigers need forests to survive. People need forests to survive. Please be as generous as you can, and support a non-profit organization such as Orangutan Foundation International or International Animal Rescue. The animals, and humans need us now. Please join me. Thank you.