WE CARE ABOUT ORANGUTANS – NOW DECLARED CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

by Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association

Endangered animals such as the Bornean Orangutan are depending on you for their survival.  With the rampant destruction of their rainforest homes to make way for palm oil plantations and other human-fueled encroachments, as well as the continuation of illegal poaching, their situation in the wild has reached dire proportions.  Both Sumatran and Bornean orangutan species are now declared critically endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Bornean orangutan populations – the species we care for here at the Los Angeles Zoo – have declined by 60% in recent years, and new projections anticipate that their numbers will continue to fall another 22% by the year 2025.  Solitary and slow to breed by nature, these losses are catastrophic and extremely hard to reverse.

Our zoo is home to an amazing group of seven orangutans, who serve as important ambassadors for their wild-born cousins, and have their own stories to tell.  At 50 years old, Eloise – featured in the video above – is the oldest living Bornean orangutan in North America.  She was born with a cerebral palsy-like disorder, which causes her legs to be largely dysfunctional, but thanks to a unique physical therapy routine put in place by her animal caregivers, great progress has been made to increase her comfort, mobility and quality of life.

Please join us today and help us ensure a future for these inspiring animals.  Zoos work to save all animals from extinction.  Help us raise $65,000 or more  by making a tax-deductible gift by June 30th  to make a difference to our conservation efforts.  Your dollars will make a difference to our orangutans here at the Zoo as well as those struggling to survive in the wild.