Save the Orangutans
The Endangered Orangutan
The orangutan is a highly intelligent member of the Great Ape family that has ninety-seven percent of its DNA in common with humans. In fact, with orang meaning person and hutan meaning forest, their name loosely translates to “person of the forest” in Malay (The Orangutan Project). They can be found in forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia, and in parts of Malaysia (The Orangutan Project). They spend ninety percent of their time in the trees swinging from branch to branch with their long arms and rarely touch the forest floor. They are omnivores so they love to enjoy lychees, mangosteens, figs, and even get their water from the holes in the trees. Orangutans are intelligent and can memorize geography, allowing them to travel long distances to find these fruits (Disappearing Orangutans). As a result of palm oil plantations, orangutans are losing their habitat at a rapid rate. They are critically endangered, with only 7,500 Sumatran, 104,700 Borean, and 800 Tanupuli, orangutans are only ten years away from extinction (Kuznik). Without serious and immediate action, the species will soon be extinct.
Palm Oil Related Deforestation
Elaeis Guineensis or palm oil, is a vegetable oil made from the fruits of oil palm. The oil is extremely popular among food brands and fast food restaurants because it has a long shelf life, is flavorless and odorless, and it keeps a good texture for cooking. It is versatile and is used in everything from cosmetics like lipstick to everyday home products like detergent. Approximately 85% of palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, even though 42 other countries produce it as well (WWF). Indonesia is the largest global producer of crude palm oil causing the palm oil plantations on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo to clear thousands of hectares of natural forests to plant oil palm and keep up with Western demand. This directly results in the country having the highest annual forest loss. In 2017, 12 million hectares of land were cleared for the production of palm oil, an area equivalent to the size of North Korea (Tyson). The rapid deforestation is destroying the homes of many species including the Sumatran tiger, rhino, elephant, and of course the orangutan.
Here's what you can do...
Shop with a conscious and do your best to avoid palm oil by reading labels and researching sustainable brands. Look for the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified label:
Write to the manufacturers of your favorite snacks or household products and ask if they use sustainable palm. If they don't, encourage them to use certified sustainable palm oil or find an alternative.
Write to your local politicians and ask them to push forward mandatory palm oil labeling so shoppers can make informed decisions when grocery shopping.
Symbolically adopt an orangutan from organizations such as International Wildlife Rescue (information below).
If it is still unclear what types of products contain palm oil, here is a helpful resource from the World Wildlife Fund.
Inform your friends and family and encourage them to get involved!
Adopt an Orangutan
The International Wildlife Rescue has a team in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo Indonesia, in the center of palm oil operations. They're dedicated to saving stranded orangutans whose homes have been lost to deforestation and who have been illegally sold as pets. Once rescued, the animals enter a lengthy rehabilitation process before being released into the wild. If an orangutan can no longer survive in the wild, they are given a permanent home at the rescue center. The International Wildlife Rescue "adopt an orangutan" program helps provide rescue centers with the resources they need to care for the animals and give them a safe home. Click here to learn more about the orangutans at the rescue center and adopt!
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