You might know Rocky, one of the most media-exposed orangutans. Perhaps you saw him with Fergie in a spread for Elle magazine’s July 2007 Music Issue. Or maybe you recall him in a tiara in a Capital One credit card commercial.

But you probably won’t be seeing orangutans on the television screen any more. And in about 10 years, scientists fear, you might not be seeing orangutans at all.

To counter a misconception that orangutans are not threatened, a myth fostered by their public portrayal, the Great Ape Trust in Iowa will now care for orangutans that have been transferred from the only remaining orangutan trainer in Hollywood. Those who would protect the apes see the move as a great victory.

“Seeing apes in entertainment may lead people to believe that conservation is not an issue for them,” said Robert Shumaker, the director of orangutan research at the Great Ape Trust. “If that diminishes concern for conservation, then that’s a problem.”
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