Indonesian villagers on Borneo struggle for water as El Niño intensifies peatland fires Residents of Borneo are enduring a severe water crisis after three months without rain The Independent UK · Oct 2
The rescue bid bungles that cost Australian PoW lives Command and intelligence bungles stopped proposed missions to rescue Australian and British PoWs in Borneo during World War II, a military historian says. AAP · Sep 26
Indonesian wildfires threaten leading orangutan research site in Borneo Critically endangered Bornean orangutans flee forests as staff at Rangkong research station work round the clock to stave off blaze The Guardian - UK · Sep 15
Borneo rainforest still held only 60% of primary forest carbon 22 years after logging Borneo's rainforests bear the evidence of logging's long-term effects even after two decades. The logged sections contain merely sixty percent of the biomass and carbon compared to untouched forests; this gap arises from a reduction in larger trees rather than sheer tree density. Although species diversity is stable, the overall… The Times of India · Sep 14
Thick haze disrupts flights on Indonesia's Borneo island Thick smoke from forest fires has disrupted flights in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province The Independent UK · Sep 14
A 25-year-old Canadian primatologist entered Borneo’s remote wild swamps with her husband in 1971 to study orangutans; after 40 years of research, she found that they give birth just once every 7.7 years and documented 400 types of food in their diet In 1971, Canadian primatologist Biruté Galdikas embarked on an extensive journey into orangutan research in Indonesian Borneo, setting up Camp Leakey as a base for her studies. Her groundbreaking findings on orangutan reproductive patterns and dietary habits significantly contributed to primatology. To further her conservation efforts, she founded the Orangutan… The Economic Times · Sep 12
Japan sends military helicopters to Indonesia to fight Borneo wildfires This is the first known overseas firefighting mission by Japan’s SDF as toxic haze spreads across neighbouring countries The Independent UK · Sep 10
Baby orangutans found in forest in India spark trafficking investigation Native only to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the rare apes were found thousands of kilometres away in Odisha state The Guardian - AU · Sep 10
Maps show surge in Indonesian wildfire hotspots where people and orangutans are choking to death Indonesian minister says ‘super El Nino’ conditions deepening drought and fuelling fires The Independent UK · Sep 3
Satellite images show scale of raging Borneo wildfires as smoke engulfs orangutan habitat Forestry minister says many fires deliberately set by individuals or companies clearing land for agriculture and other economic activity The Independent UK · Sep 1
Indonesia warns against starting open blazes as haze from wildfires spreads to Malaysia Indonesian authorities warn they will take legal action against anyone starting open fires, as huge blazes on Borneo and elsewhere created a choking haze that blankets cities The Independent UK · Aug 21
India's Most Secretive Feline: What Science Has Actually Documented About the Clouded Leopard A Cat That Rewrote the Anatomy of ClimbingThe clouded leopard's canine teeth are the longest, relative to skull size, of any living cat on earth. That single biological fact has been confirmed, measured, and published, and it is one of the few things about this animal that science can state… Times Life · Aug 10
Oldest wild Sunda clouded leopard caught on camera Newly-released camera trapfootage from a recentstudy captures the oldest wild Sunda clouded leopard ever recorded, an 8.5-year-old female in Malaysian Borneo's rainforests, offering a glimpse into the life of one of the world's most elusive wild cats. Bangkok Post · Aug 7
Provocation, ruin and empire: your guide to the 2026 Miles Franklin shortlist Australian fiction has long been interested in the relationship between the local and the global – and the six books shortlisted for this year’s Miles Franklin Award are no exception. They range across time and place, from Tasmania to Malaysian Borneo and the Middle East. And they engage with histories… The Conversation · Aug 4
The Times of India · Jul 28 In 1971, Biruté Galdikas entered Borneo’s rainforest to study orangutans; more than 50 years later, her foundation has helped return over 1,000 to the wild Biruté Galdikas began studying wild orangutans in Borneo's challenging rainforests in 1971. She established Camp Leakey, which became a site for long-running orangutan research studies. Her work significantly expanded global understanding of orangutan behavior and their ecological importance. Galdikas later founded the Orangutan Foundation International for conservation and rehabilitation efforts.…
The Times of India · Jul 9 Indonesia is building a brand-new capital in the Borneo jungle to replace sinking Jakarta Deep in the rainforest of Indonesia's Borneo island, construction crews are building an entirely new capital city called Nusantara, a project driven by a problem the current capital simply cannot outrun, the ground beneath Jakarta is sinking. Jakarta, now the world's most populous city with more than forty million people…
The Times of India · Apr 15 It’s raining cats in Malaysia: The story of ‘Operation Cat Drop’ As the title suggests, Operation Cat Drop appears to be a fairy tale. However, it really took place in the 1950s when a series of bizarre occurrences in Borneo resulted in cats being dropped from aeroplanes. The whole incident started with an innocent intention to help solve an environmental issue…
Digital Camera World · Apr 13 13 camera traps, 6.5 years, and 1 rare clouded leopard: Photography once again helps wildlife conservation as researchers set a record for the longest a single animal has been studied Scientists have tracked an individual Sundra clouded leopard for over 6 years using a network of camera traps on Borneo as part of a wider 15 year study
The Conversation · Mar 27 Birutė Galdikas: The last of the ‘angels’ in primatology’s most extraordinary chapter Primatologist Birutė Galdikas died on March 24, 2026, and an era of science that began in the forests of Tanzania, Rwanda and Borneo studying humanity’s closest living relatives more than half a century ago is coming quietly to a close. Her passing marks more than the loss of a scientist…
The Conversation · Nov 30, 2025 Seen but not forgotten: How citizen science helps document biodiversity in remote Borneo villages When I, Erik Meijaard, worked as a wildlife consultant for a timber concession in Borneo, I often chatted with the logging truck drivers — and quickly realised that some of them knew far more about local wildlife populations than the company’s own biodiversity teams.
We Got This Covered · Nov 13, 2025 Tour guide reaches into the river to grab something. Seconds later, he’s dragged underwater in a fight for his life That’s an encounter he will never forget.
The Independent UK · Sep 3, 2025 Indonesian rescuers find helicopter crash site on Borneo and recover 1 body so far Indonesian authorities say a rescue team has reached the site of a helicopter crash on Borneo and recovered one body
The Independent UK · Sep 2, 2025 Rescuers search for helicopter that went missing in Indonesia's Borneo Search and rescue teams in Indonesia are searching for a helicopter that went missing over the forests of Borneo with eight people on board a day before
International Business Times · Jun 21, 2025 Malaysia's Dayaks Mark Rice Harvest End With Colourful Parade Dressed in colourful costumes, some sporting feathered headgear and traditional swords, several thousand of Malaysia's ethnic Dayak people paraded in the streets of Sarawak state on Borneo island Saturday to celebrate the ending of the rice harvest season.
The Independent UK · Mar 25, 2025 Woman left corporate job in Slough behind for life diving with sharks in Borneo Jo Swann never dreamed two decades ago that she would be living in Malaysia