Tragic photos show orangutans roaming charred Indonesia forest after raging fire

Devastating photos have captured a group of orangutans wandering around the charred remains of a forest in Indonesia amid raging fires currently wreaking havoc throughout Southeast Asia.

The endangered Borneo orangutans were photographed amid smoke and haze on Salat Island after their habitat was decimated by blazes believed to have been illegally started to clear land and make room for highly lucrative palm oil plantations.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation said on Tuesday that "as many as 37 young orangutans" in its rehabilitation center, located in Nyaru Menteng, are "suspected to have contracted a mild respiratory infection."

"The thick smoke does not only endanger the health of our staff at Nyaru Menteng, but also it affects the 355 orangutans we currently care for in the rehabilitation center and the surrounding pre-release islands," the organization said, according to the Telegraph.

See photos of the devastation: 

Multiple fires have been raging across Indonesia's Sumatra and Borneo islands this week, sending thick clouds of smoke over neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia, the New York Times reports. The ensuing conditions have sickened thousands of people and caused air travel disruption and school closures.

The burning forests are home to a plethora of diverse species, many of which are endangered.