ORANGUTAN CRISIS COALITION STORY

With wild orangutans and their rainforest homes disappearing faster than ever, the Orangutan Conservancy (OC) recently launched the Orangutan Crisis Coalition (OCC), a project that will bring together conservation organizations, zoos, universities, corporations, and field researchers to work on issues related to orangutan protection.

The OCC was unveiled by OC chairman Norm Rosen at the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) Husbandry Workshop, which was staged October 16-18 at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

“The situation facing orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo is critical,” Rosen said, “and the time to act is now. We believe the Orangutan Crisis Coalition will be the most effective way to engage the most people and organizations around the world in this effort.”

The OCC is designed to serve as a link between all of the various organizations and agencies working on various aspects of orangutan care or conservation, but with little overlap or mutual support. The OCC, for instance, can link North American zoos directly with field projects in Sumatra or Borneo, just as it can engage major corporations to support conservation efforts.

The OCC will also seek to raise funds to identify suitable release sites for the hundreds of orangutans being held in rehabilitation centers in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) recently issued a letter in support of the OCC, stating that “the situation facing wild orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra is dire but not irreversible, and AZA institutions and the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) are keenly aware that they have a role to play in this fight.” The OCC is also committed to working closely with individual AZA institutions that care for orangutans and the Orangutan SSP.

One aspect of the OCC will be to engage the broadest possible segment of the public in North America and Europe, primarily through zoo programs and the promotion of “orangutan-friendly” products and companies. Preliminary talks are under way with Newman’s Own, Johnson & Johnson, and H.J. Heinz, among others, to promote their products in return for OCC sponsorship and support.

Petitions will also be circulated at AZA institutions, calling for the Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia to protect wild orangutans and their habitat. These petitions will be presented by a delegation of U.S. zoo officials that is tentatively scheduled to visit Southeast Asia in 2009.

The OCC will also establish a keeper exchange program between the AZA and field projects in Sumatra and Borneo, whereby field researchers and rehabilitation experts will visit U.S. zoos to learn techniques, promote awareness, and establish working relationships. In return, U.S. zookeepers with specialized skills will be sent to assist Asian rehabilitation centers.