Orangutans will be history in 10 years, and we need to do something about it!
The Bornean orangutan is currently listed as critically endangered as their homes are continued to be destroyed. The forests in Indonesia and Malaysia need help to preserve the homes of these beautiful creatures. For the past 25 years, 76 million acres of forests have disappeared. The size of those forests, which are the homes of orangutans and other wildlife, are the size of Germany.
Photo from International Union for the Conservation of Nature
The forests have been cleared to be turned into palm oil plantations. These factories produce different products from toothpaste to donuts to biodiesel.
Aside from being hunted by humans, the population of orangutans is getting smaller and smaller because of natural forest fires, and it’s beginning to be more difficult as manmade fires happen in rainforests, as well. According to the World Wildlife Fund, there were more than 230,000 Orangutans a century ago. Now, the number is at 7,500 for the critically endangered species.
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The rescue clinics and volunteers can only do so much; and they are afraid that if rainforests get smaller and smaller, their rescued animals will no longer have a home in the future.
According to Greenpeace, some companies fail to check if their products contain palm oil. Most companies and individuals use palm oil on a daily basis and some groups are calling out to everyone to boycott the use of these products to help save the rainforest and the beautiful creatures that live in it.
© .com/Anup Shah/WWF (from www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan)
You can help by refraining from buying products with palm oil in it and by using alternative products instead. You can also donate to the International Animal Rescue here.
