Seafood for Thanksgiving

RT9 (RSPO) Conference has come to an end and we feel we have gained a wealth of knowledge.  It was amazing and inspiring that nearly 1000 people from 50 countries came together to discuss how best to continue to move certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) forward, but it was also very clear that there is still a lot of work to be done.  We heard varying opinions on the best ways to ensure a better future for not only the palm oil industry, but also the environment as a whole. There were many discussions surrounding environmental issues like deforestation, greenhouse gases and HCV (high conservation value) areas.  There are solutions but will take all stakeholders setting aside their differences and working together to make the changes that are best for everyone involved.  Another interesting thing we found was that the US was very under-represented at the conference although we are one of the top consumers of palm oil in the world.  This makes us realize is that the problems of palm oil are still not widely known or understood in the US, and consumers have yet to inform their favorite companies that they will only accept CSPO in the products they purchase.  Help us spread the word to giants like General Mills, Pepperidge Farms, and Pillsbury that joining the RSPO and using 100% CSPO is the right thing to do not only for the survival of endangered species such as orangutans, rhinos, and tigers but also for the health of the planet.

When we applied to join RSPO we had a choice to join as affiliate members or ordinary members.  We chose to pay a higher membership fee in part because we felt it was crucial to be able to vote in the RSPO General Assembly.  So it was extremely gratifying to be able to vote in the 8^th General Assembly on numerous important resolutions.

On Thursday night we did not exactly eat a typical Thanksgiving dinner…we ate at a seafood restaurant!  We had a great conversation with Isabelle Lackman of Hutan, an orangutan conservation organization here in Malaysia.  This morning we spent some time with Adam Harrison of WWF, who is on the RSPO executive board and is a great resource regarding palm oil sustainability issues.

We are flying to Sumatra today to begin the next exciting part of our journey!

Find out more about palm oil and orangutans on our palm oil crisis page and check back soon - we’ll send updates when we can!

McDonald's Joins Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; Commits to Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil

OAK BROOK, IL, Oct 19, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- McDonald's Corporation MCD +2.55% today announced its membership in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This membership represents significant progress in the company's commitment to source palm oil only from RSPO member companies by the end of this year, and to use only RSPO-certified palm oil in restaurants and pre-cooked chicken and potato products by 2015.

"Participating in multi-stakeholder engagements such as the RSPO is one way for us to put the power and leadership of McDonald's behind commitments to continue to source sustainable ingredients such as palm oil," said Francesca DeBiase, McDonald's vice president, Worldwide Strategic Sourcing. "Sustainability issues as they relate to food are often confusing to consumers, and we can help lead the way by educating our customers on how our food is sourced."

McDonald's uses palm oil primarily within Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America as a restaurant frying oil and as a par-fry for pre-cooking of products such as French fries, chicken patties and Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald's membership in the RSPO is an extension of its Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC) announced earlier this year. The McDonald's SLMC requires that, over time, its suppliers will only use agricultural raw materials for the company's food and packaging that originate from sustainably-managed lands, ensuring the food served in its restaurants around the world is sourced from certified sustainable sources. The commitment is supported by an external, third-party evaluation process.

Based on a thorough analysis conducted in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to identify the top raw materials which have the most potential sustainability impacts, McDonald's SLMC actions initially are focused on Beef, Poultry, Coffee, Palm Oil and fiber for Packaging.

"We are extremely pleased that McDonald's is making significant headway in showing its commitment toward the sustainable sourcing of its food ingredients. The fact that one of the world's largest consumer brands commits to the growth and use of sustainable palm oil is an important reflection of the increasing demand for sustainable palm oil in consumer markets," said Darrel Webber, RSPO Secretary General. "McDonald's membership in the RSPO reinforces the growing commitment of U.S.-based companies to sustainable palm oil. Furthermore, McDonald's pledge to source only RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil by 2015 reflects the market transformation that is currently taking place worldwide. I am convinced that McDonald's commitment will inspire other global brands to follow suit."

More information about McDonald's SLMC can be found at:

http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/about/sustainable_supply/sustainable_land_management_commitment.html .

McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 locations serving approximately 64 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp ) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mcdonaldscorp )

McDonald's Corp., McDonald's, Chicken McNuggets and World Wildlife Fund are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Demand for certified sustainable palm oil surges 70%

We are extremely excited about the increase in demand for CSPO, please enjoy the article below.

By LIZ LEE 

lizlee@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) saw a 70% surge in demand last month, setting off a round of cheering in the Rountable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

It was a significant improvement from 48% a year ago. In the last two years, the demand for CSPO had increased from 25.3% in 2009 to 46.2% last year.

The positive market uptake was certainly welcomed as RSPO was recently on shaky grounds after Indonesia withdrew its membership.

Kees Vis: ‘The current number sparks hopes that a breakthrough is near.’

RSPO president Jan Kees Vis said in a statement that “the current number sparks hopes that a breakthrough is near.”

“Historically, there has always been a delay in market take-up versus production increase, as buyers of large companies have to commit as long as a year in advance to buy raw materials,” he said.

“They will only sign on to what they are sure they can actually purchase from the market in the future,” he added.

Secretary-general Darrel Webber also noted that “a significant number of retailers, consumer goods manufacturers, processors and traders have committed to 100% CSPO by 2015.”

In its efforts to further increase CSPO demand, RSPO has launched an awareness campaign. RSPO will also launch the WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard 2011 next month to measure the commitment and performance of over 130 major retailers and manufacturers.

Belinda Howell from the Retailers Palm Oil Group said that “growers who have made significant investments and efforts to achieve RSPO certification have been frustrated by the lack of appetite in the market (so) it is particularly good news to see that now more than two thirds have been taken up”.

RSPO was formed in 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

The association covers stakeholders from seven categories of the palm oil industry, namely oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO) and social or developmental NGOs.

Justin's Nut Butter

Over the last year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been working closely Justin's, a company based in Boulder CO, on becoming RSPO members. Justin's is a company that makes organic nut butter products. Justin's was already sourcing their palm oil from an RSPO certified plantation in South America, but they went a step further and joined the RSPO themselves. Not only did they join the RSPO, they chose to start using our "Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil" logo on their products.

Some of the products with the new labeling have finally hit the shelves! The peanut butter cups now have the logo on the back of the packaging, as well as some jars of the nut butters.

To find a store that carries Justin's products near you, go to the link below.
http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/shop.php

More Big Companies Join RSPO

A couple of recent additions to the growing list of RSPO members are Mars and Walmart. Since these are such large companies, the impact they can make by supporting sustainable palm oil is huge.

With Mars joining, our Halloween candy shopping guide will be much more extensive this year. Mars is best known for making candy like M&Ms and Snickers, but Mars makes many other products like Uncle Ben's rice, Pedigree dog food, and Whiskas cat food.

Since Walmart is a grocery store that carries many brands, they're still going to stock products from non-RSPO companies. What their RSPO membership means is that Walmart is abiding by RSPO rules and regulations regarding the palm oil they use in their own brands such as Great Value and Equate. They have also stated that they will encourage other private brands they carry to join the RSPO.

McDonald's is another company that has recently applied for RSPO membership. Their application is being reviewed, so look for posts in the near future about their membership approval.

Biofuels can be dirtier than fossil fuels

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | May 16, 2011 8:17 PM EDT

Biofuels may pollute the environment much more heavily if the process used to make them isn't done in the right way, researchers say. Conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be much "greener" than their biofuel counterparts, according to a new study.

University Research funded by a pair of U.S. federal government agencies found that taking into account a biofuel's origin is important.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say, for example that conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be the "greener" choice compared with fuel made from palm oil grown in a clear-cut rainforest.

"What we found was that technologies that look very promising could also result in high emissions, if done improperly," said James Hileman, an engineer at MIT who published results of a study with graduate students Russell Stratton and Hsin Ming Wong.

"You can't simply say a biofuel is good or bad - it depends on how it's produced and processed, and that's part of the debate that hasn't been brought forward."
The study was funded by theFederal Aviation Administrationand Air Force Research Labs.

The study includes a life-cycle analysis of 14 fuel sources, which include conventional petroleum-based jet fuel and biofuels which can include biofuels that can replace conventional fuels with little or no change to existing infrastructure or vehicles, according to the report.

Factors used to calculate emissions include acquiring the biomass, transporting it, converting it to fuel and combustion.

"All those processes require energy," Hileman says, "and that ends up in the release of carbon dioxide."

Biofuels derived from palm oil emitted 55 times more carbon dioxide if the palm oil came from a plantation located in a converted rainforest rather than a previously cleared area, according to the report.

Biofuels could ultimately emit 10 times more carbon dioxide than conventional fuel, the report found.

"Severe cases of land-use change could make coal-to-liquid fuels look green," Hileman said. He added that by conventional standards, "coal-to-liquid is not a green option."

The research may have applications for industry as companies consider using biofuels, Hileman says.

One solution could be to explore crops such as algae and Salicornia that don't require deforestation or fertile soil to grown, according to Hileman. Neither requires fresh water.

Make a Difference for Wild Orangutans

There is a crisis affecting orangutans...the Palm Oil Crisis. How can you help? Learn more. Spread the word. www.cmzoo.org/conservation/palmOilCrisis­/



If you are having problems watching this video please visit our YouTube page.

Sustainable Palm Oil Arrives in U.S.

We just received word that the first shipment of palm oil certified under sustainability criteria has arrived in the United States.

This is a breaking news story coming from mongabay.com. They state, that according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), AAK, a vegetable oils and fats manufacturer based in Malmo, Sweden, announced the arrival of the first shipment of segregated RSPO-certified palm oil to its refinery in Port Newark, New Jersey. .

The RSPO also announced that daily production of CSPO has now surpassed 5,000 metric tons per day. Since late 2008 more than 2.2 million tons of certified palm oil and 600,000 tons of certified palm kernals have been produced. About 600,000 tons of CSPO and kernals has been sold—mostly in Europe—so far in 2010.



Read the entire mongabay.com story online.

Gunung Palung National Park and Flora and Fauna International

The situation in Indonesian Borneo appears to be very bad for many orangutans. Compared to Sumatra (also in Indonesia) and Sabah, Malaysia, Indonesian Borneo is going through a major conversion from forest to oil palm plantations on a massive scale. Sumatra and Sabah, Malaysia already went through this transition many years ago and have very few orangutans left as a result. There are 87 different palm oil companies in the Ketapang region.


Palm Oil as far as the eye can see.


Truck on scale to weigh FFBs (fresh fruit bunches of palm oil).

Our next meeting was with the National Park office which is a run by the Forestry Department. The forestry official we met with told us a lot about Gunung Palung National Park. The park was established in 1927 and was enlarged in 1990. There are 2,500-3,000 orangutans in the park, it is 90,000 hectares, and 6 rangers patrol and monitor the park via trekking, water boats and ultra-light airplanes. There are currently two ultra-light pilots, but recently an NGO gave them money and tools to train more pilots. The park official we spoke with thinks Borneo needs a good zoo so local people can see the animals and learn about them. He also said that there is too much forest being converted to palm oil. We were very surprised to learn that in 2008 there were 222 guests to the park, and in 2009 there were 488 guests. We expected this park to be a more popular destination.

Next we visited with FFI, Flora and Fauna International. A major project they are working on is HCV assessments for palm oil plantations. HCV areas are high in conservation value, and there are many factors that can lead to this classification. A few examples are:
• endangered species living in the area,
• land that has cultural significance for indigenous people,
• riparian areas

The reason for assessing HCV areas is that it is a requirement of the RSPO in order for a plantation to be a member of RSPO and to be certified as sustainable. FFI has many specialists that make up their HCV assessment team (bat specialist, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian, etc.). An impressive part of this program is that the palm oil plantations do not pay for the assessments; they are funded by FFI and other NGOs so there is no question about validity or bias/influence.


The FFI Team

We met with a man named Fajri from Gemawan, an NGO that helps communities manage the local forests sustainably. They are working with twelve different villages. Of the many projects they are working on, one of the most unique is the collection of kopi luwak. If you have seen the movie “The Bucket List” this might ring a bell. This involves collecting coffee beans that are eaten then defecated by wild palm civets. This specialty coffee fetches very high prices and gives local people an incentive to protect the civets. (Yes, people pay a lot to drink this!) Of the twelve villages they are working with, conversion of forests to palm oil plantations has not been a concern near any of those villages thus far.

We visited a medical clinic that gives a large discount to patients who are not loggers. Also, if they are unable to pay with money then patients or their families can trade handicrafts for medical services. The photo below is of some crafts that were traded at the clinic.



A highlight of our time in this area was a hike and overnight stay in Gunung Palung National Park. The hike was steep but beautiful, and we slept on the upper levels of a giant complex tree house. While we slept a wild bearded pig came into the camp and ate all of the coffee, then splashed around in the nearby creek. The camping precautions we take to avoid conflict with wildlife in the U.S. could definitely apply to other parts of the world. (Not sure how to keep primates out of your supplies though, we’ll have to follow up on that question.)

Jakarta and Meetings

A Journal Entry from our team:
We spent one day in Jakarta having two important meetings, one with The Nature Conservancy (TCN) and one with the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil). The RSPO meeting helped us understand more thoroughly the challenges and successes they have experienced. TNC has some interesting projects that are helping with orangutan conservation. We went to a nice mall and it was awesome to see a Baskin Robbins (we are getting a little homesick) which we enjoyed after our Indonesian lunch.

The city of Jakarta has a population of 9.5 million. It is sprawling and huge. The downtown area is modern, the outskirts seem very poverty –stricken. The overcrowding and conditions people are living in is eye-opening. It makes the average American home seem like a palace.



Next we flew to Pontianak and on to our destination of Ketapang. The flight to Ketapang was a little scary. Before we took off 9 people kept trying to fix the plane’s propeller. When they apparently fixed it, the mechanic went on the flight with us, and then he rushed out to examine it when we landed.

Our reason for going to the towns of Ketapang and Sukadana was to spend time with Yayasun Palung, an NGO (non-governmental organization) in west Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Mayi, Tito, Wendi and Wiwid explained to us about the projects they’re working on. We later visited their education center in Sukadana. They show local people some of the unique and special trees and plants found in the rainforest. They have also conducted classes to train local people how to make furniture out of bamboo (see photo below). This is a sustainable way to help them make a living. Yayasun Palung had also set up numerous meetings for us.



We also met with IAR (International Animal Rescue). This organization rescues and rehabilitates all sorts of animals from sun bears and lorises to orangutans. They see the worst of what is happening in Indonesia. The following example was very disturbing for us to see – the reality of what many orangutans are facing. A female orangutan had been wandering around a palm oil plantation (one that is not a member of RSPO) and was attacked by people there. Her hand was sliced with a machete and her baby was taken from her. Two weeks later (about two days before we arrived in Ketapang) she was found wandering again and was beaten by the people. She received a bad wound to the back of her head and was locked in a bathroom. IAR was called to rescue her and unfortunately she died an hour after rescuers arrived. During her necropsy they found that she was a lactating mother, so the search was on to find the baby. A tip came in that the baby was in a private home, so IAR located and confiscated the baby. We briefly saw the infant, he was in critical condition and he may not survive. Below is a photo of him. We hope that he makes it.

Why the Team Came to Sukau

Dr. Isabelle Lackman, a world renowned French primatologist and Director of Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP), visited Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and other zoos in the United States last October. She presented to CMZ staff about her work in Sabah, Malaysia. We were very interested in the projects and so impressed that Isabelle does not have a doom and gloom attitude about orangutan conservation. We asked her what we could do in the U.S. to help wild orangutans, and one of the things she said was that we should really come visit Sukau. Amazingly we were able to make this happen thanks to CMZ’s Q4C (Quarters for Conservation) program!

Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP):
At the headquarters, Isabelle presented to our whole group about the many ways KOCP has improved Sukau and the surrounding forest. Isabelle and Marc Ancrenaz started working in Sukau in 1998. Here are just a few highlights of their work:

• Educating and influencing local people about the value of the rainforest, and the Kinabatangan River biodiversity. When Isabelle and Marc first arrived in Sukau the people were almost at war against animals, the rainforest, etc. Now they truly do seem to value it.

• Helping the local people find ways to make a living without harming the rainforest or rivers.

• Giving guidance, as needed, as the local people established Red Ape Encounters, an ecotourism company.

• Setting up a research station to study orangutans and their behavior. Due to their research, we now know that orangutans can thrive in secondary (recovered/replanted) forests.

• Helping local people find ways to live in harmony with the local Borneo elephant herds. They have established an elephant conservation unit that monitors elephant herd movement, helps put up electric fences as needed and prevents conflicts between people and elephants.

•Buying up land and building corridors and firehose bridges with organizations such as BCT, Bornean Conservation Trust.

•Creating a reforestation team – they hired a team of four local women to plant and care for seedlings in the reforestation areas. These areas need to be monitored, protected (from elephants) and maintained for several years after planting.

•Rainforest seedling nurseries – training many families in the community how to sustainably harvest and grow some key rainforest tree species; the forestry department pays for the seedlings, about fifty cents per tree, and will order thousands at a time as the need arises. Twelve families have set up nurseries and are supported by this sustainable income.

We were amazed at the effectiveness of these projects in changing the attitudes of the local people.

Note: KOCP is funded by Hutan, an NGO based in France. Funds come largely from donors, including some zoos in the U.S.


Our group with Dr. Isabelle and the Reforestation Team

Meeting with John Payne in Sabah

We had the privilege to meet with John Payne, author of numerous books about mammals in Malaysia who has been working here since 1977. He shared a wealth of knowledge with us over three hours, his experiences concerning numerous threats facing orangutans in Malaysia and Indonesia.


We also met and stayed with an amazing woman who works with Hutan, an Orangutan and Elephant Conservation Organization in Sabah. Harjinder Kler was a wonderful hostess. She has lived her whole life in Sabah, and also knows a great deal about the orangutans here.

From England, Dr. Junaidi (John) Payne is the senior advisor to WWF Malaysia. He received his BS in Zoology from King’s College, London University in 1972 and a Ph.D in Tropical Ecology from Cambridge University in 1979.

Dr. Payne has worked on a variety of conservation projects in Sabah, including wildlife surveys, Sabah Conservation Strategy (adopted by the Sabah Government in 1992), early proposals for Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, and building up a full-time WWF presence in Sabah. He has written several books including A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo (1985), and This is Borneo (1994).

In an interview a few years ago, Dr. Payne remarked:
“The remaining natural forests around Sukau are examples of an extremely rare habitat type – natural vegetation of an alluvial floodplain. This is the once-widespread habitat of South-east Asia which in early times (thousands, or at least hundreds. of years ago) was converted to rice paddies. Rice can grow only in open, exposed areas, free of invading tree cover. The ability of certain varieties of rice to grow in flooded land, where few tree species can grow, was a part of the reason why rice expanded as a major food crop through South-east Asia.

It is unclear why lower Kinabatangan escaped human settlement and conversion to rice fields in ancient times. In the ninetieth century, the British administration thought that piracy from the southern Philippines and head-hunting raiders from Kalimantan, were the main reason for the very small numbers of human inhabitants of lower Kinabatangan. More probably, the unpredictable timing and depth of flooding, compared to that generated by the more seasonal rainfall patterns on much of the mainland Asia, made rice growing too risky in the high by erratic rainfall zones of Borneo. Floodplains are not a stable ecosystem. Slow attrition and re-deposition of sediments means that the river’s course changes slowly. A big flood event can cause more rapid change at some localities, especially by cutting through a big bend in the river. Oxbow lakes may be created almost literally overnight, but they remain potentially for centuries before being filled with sediment and pioneered for vegetation.”

Photos from Sumatra and Malaysia

Our group is having a wonderful time in Sumatra and Malaysia and learning so much, although internet service is limited and receiving these photos has been nothing but a small miracle. Here are some of the pictures we have received so far from their travels and a short message from our team. We hope you enjoy them.

Yay! We love Malaysia so far. Eighth attempt to send photos is a charm. We miss everyone!!!!
-Dina, Mandy & Tracey

Wild Mother Orangutan and Kids in Sumatra

This is the first video our team on the ground in Sumatra sent today. It is a mother orangutan and her two kids. We will continue to keep you updated as we hear from our team on their travels and learn more about the palm oil crisis that threatens these amazing animals.

We have landed!

Our team has landed in Indonesia and they are sending updates as they can. We wanted to take a minute to introduce you to them and the goals and objectives of this trip.


Tracey Gazibara - Vice President
Dina Brendahl - Animal Care Manager
Mandy Hollingsworth - Primate World Keeper

Also on the trip are Carol Sodaro of Brookfield Zoo, Stephanie Braccini of St. Louis Zoo, and Joel Gazibara.


Trip Goal: To become the authority on Palm Oil and any other major threats affecting orangutans and their habitat by obtaining the latest and most accurate information in the field.

Trip Objective 1: Ground truth the Palm oil crisis in Borneo near areas with known orangutan populations.
- Fly to Kota Kinabalu and meet with palm oil and conservation agencies. (Isabelle from Red Ape Encounters to help facilitate)
- Fly to Sukau to see the Sepliok orangutan rehabilitation facility
- Meet with personal at WWF that are doing work in the area
-Meet with personal from the Borneo Conservation Trust
-Conduct interviews with palm oil plantation owners
-Fly to Ketapang where we will meet with staff at the National Park office.
-In Ketapang we will meet with staff from Flora and Fauna International to discuss their role in the palm oil crisis. Will also speak with other community leaders regarding the crisis.
- We will visit Gunung Palung National Park and possibly see orangutans in the wild.
- Within the Gunung Palung National park we will visit Lubuk Baji—a camp for kids that involves environmental education

Trip Objective 2: Ground truth the Palm oil crisis in Sumatra near areas with known orangutan populations.
- Fly to Medan and meet with Musim Mas, a RSPO certified sustainable plantation and mill
- Visit Batu Mbelin and visit with Ian Singleton at SOCP (Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program)
- Visit Gunung Leuser National Park and see a new reforestation project in the park. The park is also one of the last strongholds of wild orangutans in Sumatra

Trip Objective 3: Research possible solutions for the threats facing orangutans
Corridors:
-Interview (see questions below) Mark and Isabelle in Sukau regarding the work they are doing in this area and see first hand
--Who would be responsible for creating corridors
--Who can ‘fight’ for corridor enforcement in court
--Replanting/reforestation to create new corridors
--Protection (law AND patrolling) of corridor areas
--Reforestation
--Visit Gunung Leuser National Park and see project first hand
--Visit Samboja Lestari and see project first hand

Trip Objective 4: Understand how the palm oil crisis is affecting the indigenous people and look for ways to help

-Sustainable handicrafts
-Homestays/Ecotourism
--In Sumatra stay at Bukit Lawang at an ecolodge and learn about their ecotourism projects
--In Sukau our accomendations will be a homestay through Red Ape Encounters. RAE is a community based ecotourism/homestay project

Trip Objective 5: Build a media library to help with our awarness campaign upon our return.
-At every location visited, take pictures and video of palm oil plantations, forests after logging, reforestation projects, palm oil factories, orangutan habitat, and orangutan rehabilitation projects.

We will also be sharing the experience and forming partnerships with other AZA facilities - Brookfield Zoo and St. Louis Zoo.

Background

Three years ago, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo became a leader in taking action against the Palm Oil Crisis, which is threatening the very survival of orangutans. You may not be aware that the only place in the world that orangutans exist is on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, and that Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are two of the most endangered primates on the planet. Over the last several years, orangutan populations have decreased at alarming rates because of deforestation for the purpose of creating palm oil plantations. Palm oil is used in many everyday items, from cookies to cosmetics, and as a source of biofuel. In the last three years we have been raising awareness and funds. Now, it’s time for us to take real, tangible action and see for ourselves exactly what’s happening in Borneo and Sumatra so that we can take the next vital steps to ensure orangutans will be a part of the natural world for many years to come.

We have planned a trip that will put us on the ground in Indonesia and Malaysia, seeing first-hand the many facets of the Palm Oil Crisis.

At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we believe that we have a responsibility to be a leader in conservation, captive breeding and animal care. The Zoo also believes that people want to make a positive difference in the world through conservation efforts and that we have a unique opportunity to engage, inform and inspire a large and captive audience about issues impacting animals and the environment.