Help The Orangutans In Borneo

The survival of the Indonesian Orangutan has reached a critical stage. The destruction of their habitat, a beautiful rainforest on the island of Borneo, has put the orangutan under serious threat. The suffering and deaths of these amazing apes are primarily due to the production of palm oil.

Many apes have suffered severe burns or death. Babies are taken from their mothers and are illegally sold as pets. Adults are sometimes taken and chained or kept in tiny cages. Many are stranded when their rainforest homes are destroyed and burned to the ground. This has caused the orangutans to come closer to human habitats in a desperate search for food.

With over 80% of their habitat lost, many experts believe orangutans could be extinct in the wild in less than 25 years. But this catastrophic destruction doesn't just affect the orangutans, but other animals as well. This includes the Borneo elephant and the Sumatran tiger.

Want to help? Avoid buying products that contain palm oil. Besides killing so much plant and animal life to plant these palm plantations, refined palm oil contains large amounts of harmful fatty acid esters that damage DNA and cause cancer! Palm oil can be found in cosmetics, food, shampoo, detergents, soaps, etc. Check labels and avoid ingredients such as:
Vegetable oil, Palmitate, Palm Kernel oil, Palmitoyl, Palmolein, Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate/Lactylate and Elaeis Guineensis. Ask your retailers for palm oil-free products. Write manufacturers and ask them to use domestic oils. SIgn petitions. Write your elected representatives. Take part in protest marches. Educate others. Donate to a legitimate and respected conservation center or charity.

As consumers, we can make a difference. What we purchase dictates to the manufacturers what they produce. The less palm oil we use, the more lives that will be saved. The next time you shop, please read the label and purchase an alternative! The orangutans will thank you.

Need a list of reputable orangutan conservation organizations? Just email REPCO at repcowildlife@gmail.com and write I Love Orangutans in the subject line. Make your day a wild one!