Page 70 - World of Animals - Issue #39
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Saving orangutans
Rescuing and rehoming apes
Monkey World is a Dorset-based rehabilitation centre that takes in and rehomes apes from across the world
as well as working in the field to save key primate species. We talked to a spokesperson about their work
Please tell me a little bit about Monkey World? Sumatran orangutans, Silvestre, Bulu-Mata and Rieke, all raise awareness of the plight of the orangutan in the wild.
Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre was established in came to Monkey World as it is the offi cial European crèche. We recently held an event for International Orangutan Day
1987 to provide a home for abused Spanish beach chimps. We have also rescued some orangutans from life as a pet. at the park, where visitors were encouraged to embrace
These chimps were being used as photography props Oshine is one such, who lived with a family in South Africa all things orange for the day. All the money raised on
© Alamy; FLPA; Shutterstock; Orangutan Survival Foundation; Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
for tourists, oen working extremely long hours in the before coming to the park. She had been fed a human diet, this day went to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation
sun, and kept in abhorrent conditions, and subjected to and lived in a house with very little exercise, and so was Programme, which works within Indonesia to rescue,
significant abuse and neglect. Jim Cronin MBE set up overweight when she arrived. We also work with Pingtung rehabilitate and release orangutans to the wild.
Monkey World, along with Jeremy Keeling, to provide Rescue Centre for Endangered Wild Animals in Taiwan to We campaign against the use of palm oil, as the
sanctuary for any primate in need. What started with nine try to stop the smuggling of gibbons and orangutans from plantations for this crop are reducing the habitat for
chimpanzees has grown to over 250 primates of more the wild. We have rehomed six orangutans from Pingtung orangutans. We are vigilant against the use of palm oil in
than 20 different species. Jim passed away in 2007 and who were rescued from the illegal pet trade; Hsiao-lan, any products in our cafes, and check all items for this, and
his wife, Alison, and Jeremy have carried on the work of Hsiao –quai, Lucky, Tuan, A-mei and RoRo. As orangutans all the food sold in our gi shop is palm oil free.
the park. Today, she oversees the day to day care of the are part of the European Breeding Programme (EEP), we
animals, as well as organising rescues of primates both have also had several births at the park. Gordon, Jin and What can World Of Animals readers do to help?
from the legal UK pet trade, and abroad. Monkey World Awan were all born at the park. Donate to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation
is home to the European Orangutan crèche, meaning any Programme to help orangutans in the wild or adopt one of
orphaned orangutan in Europe is raised at Monkey World. Why is it so important to protect these animals? our orangutans by visiting www.monkeyworld.org.
They are critically endangered in the wild, and if they
Where do the orangutans at Monkey World come from, continue at the rate of current decline due to deforestation, How you can help
and what's their story? they will be extinct in the wild within 20 years. You can support orangutan charities by doing fundraising, or
There are 14 orangutans at the park: 11 Bornean and ‘adopt’ an orangutan. Try to avoid using products and foods that
three Sumatran. Amy was the first orangutan at Monkey How is Monkey World helping? use or contain unsustainably grown palm oil and try to adopt
World, as Jeremy hand reared her in a job prior to Monkey Monkey World works closely with governments to try and ‘green’ habits – it all helps! You can even go on an eco-tour to
World, when Amy’s mother rejected her at birth. The three stop the smuggling of orangutans from the wild, and to see these amazing creatures in the wild, or just tell your friends
and raise awareness of their plight.
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