Indonesia, Oct. 28 -- A joint firefighting task force has stepped up operations to extinguish wildfires raging within Tanjung Puting National Park to protect critically endangered orangutan habitats and nearby settlements.

West Kotawaringin Resort Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Joko Handono said in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (October 27) that crews are racing against time to contain the blazes and prevent them from encroaching on key conservation zones in the internationally renowned park.

"Our joint personnel are working around the clock to suppress and cool the fires to ensure they do not breach the orangutan feeding grounds, the Pesalat Conservation Zone, or residential areas in Sekonyer Village," Handono...