Orangutan awareness: Louisville Zoo to focus on animal's plight
When a close relative is in danger, it's time to take action.
That's the message of The Louisville Zoo's Orangutan Awareness weekend April 4-5.
The highly intelligent orangutan, which shares 97 percent of our DNA and is considered one of the closet living relatives to humans, could be extinct in the wild in a decade, experts predict.
The weekend event will let zoo-goers learn about the fascinating creatures firsthand, meet orangutan keepers, hear about the threats orangutans face in the wild and find out what people can do to help.
Special keeper talks will be presented at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Islands area. Docents will also be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Islands area with lots of interesting information.
The zoo's Youth Board will offer face painting with a portion of the proceeds going to orangutan conservation.
The event is free with zoo admission and for zoo members.
Historically, orangutans were found throughout Southeast Asia and even as far north as China. But with the rapid decline of their rainforest homes, they live only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.
Suitable orangutan habitat in Malaysia and Sumatra has declined by more than 80 percent in the last two decades, according to estimates, and the wild population of Sumatran orangutans has dropped by nearly half.
The spread of palm oil plantations and illegal logging are partly to blame, according to a United Nations report. Palm oil is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to trans fats, and is found in one of 10 supermarket products, including margarine, baked goods, sweets, detergents and lipsticks. Palm oil is also being used more for fuel.
The zoo is offering a free guide to palm-oil free shopping on its website.
Posted by Bill Wolfe
