INDONESIA ORGANGUTAN PROJECT
For more information:
www.orangutan.com
The Oakland Zoo supports the efforts of the Balikpapan Orangutan Society BOS-USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of orangutans and their habitat in Indonesia. Protecting the habitat of orangutans helps to protect all of the other species threatened with extinction in Indonesia.
The highly intelligent orangutans are one of our closest relatives, sharing 97% of the same DNA. They are in danger of becoming extinct within the next decade. Orangutans have lost over 80% of their habitat in the past 20 years. Forest fires, logging, and plantations are seriously encroaching on the remaining habitat. Hundreds of mothers are killed every year when people try to take their babies for the illegal pet trade. The local tribes of Indonesia and Malaysia call this ape “Orang Hutan” which literally translates in English as “People of the Forest.”
Sanctuaries in Borneo work with local authorities to protect valuable habitat, confiscate illegally held orangutans, train natural orangutan behavior, reintroduce the animals to the forest, and release the animals in protected areas. BOS researches orangutan behavior, trains local people to maximize rehabilitation efforts, leads local education outreach projects, provides support and funding for fighting forest fires, and reforests wild areas.
For more information:
www.orangutan.com
