In the wake of the 2015 wildfires in Southeast Asia, researchers noticed something was off with the resident orangutans. Some of the large orange primates living near the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station, in Borneo—the Indonesian island—seemed sluggish, and low energy. Researchers at the station studied them and, it appears, wildfire smoke might be the culprit, according to a paper the team released in 2018.
While wildfires occur naturally, some believe that anthropogenic climate change will see them increase frequency and severity. The effects of wildfire smoke on human health are well documented. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to the airborne mix of chemicals and particles can cause a variety of symptoms, from burning eyes and runny nose to chronic heart and lung diseases in humans.
What’s less well-known, however, is the impact that wildfire smoke could have on wild animals. Wildfires, themselves, can see vast swaths of natural habitat destroyed. But the immediate and long-term impacts of the smoke on the denizens of the wild are not well documented. Some of this is because it’s harder or even dangerous to study wild animals, particularly in the midst of a wildfire, or when the smoke is blotting out the sun. Some researchers have investigated this matter, usually focusing on specific critters. But there’s room to learn more.
Smoke has a variety of well-known repercussions for pets, including disorientation, stumbling and inflammation of the throat and mouth. According to Jose Arce, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the severity and longevity of these effects will depend on the length of exposure to the smoke and the size of the animal—with smaller animals being impacted worse than their larger peers.
