Orangutan filmed trying to fight off digger.

A heartbreaking video of an orangutan trying to fight off a digger destroying forest vegetation in Borneo has emerged.

The video, reportedly filmed in 2013, was taken at the Sungai Putri forest in Borneo and released on Facebook on Tuesday by International Animal Rescue.

It shows an orangutan running across a horizontal tree branch before it reaches up to grab the digger's bucket. 

As the bucket lifts into the air the orangutan tries to hold on, before falling.

"This desperate orangutan is frantically seeking refuge from the destructive power of the bulldozer, a machine that has already decimated everything else around him," the group says.

"Despite all the obstacles thrown at them, our team were able to rescue this orangutan and bring him to safety. 

"Unfortunately, scenes like this are becoming more and more frequent in Indonesia.

"Deforestation has caused the orangutan population to plummet, habitats are destroyed and orangutans are left to starve and die." 

Newshub.