Daily Archives: June 1, 2015

The Kansas City Zoo Committing to its Six New Orangutans and Sustainable Palm Oil Sources.

Orangutan eating a coconut. Photo by Eleifert in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan

Orangutan eating a coconut. Photo by Eleifert in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan

The Kansas City Zoo is now home to six endangered Orangutans from Borneo. Visitors to the zoo can enjoy interacting with Josie, Rufus, Berani, Jill, Kalijon and TK in the Orangutan Canopy at the zoo now. The Kansas City Zoo recognizes that 80% of the native habitat for orangutans has been lost in the last 20 years. Part of the reason for habitat loss has been destruction of the rainforests where orangutans live in order to plant palm trees used commercially as a source of palm oil. Palm oil is used in manufacture of everything from lotions and shampoos to pretzels and hamburger buns. The rainforest is usually burned to clear land, especially in Malasia and Indonesia and planted exclusively in palm trees. As part of the zoos effort to save these magnificent orangutans in their existing rainforest habitat, the zoo has announced that it will no longer purchase palm oil produced by these unsustainable palm plantations. All future purchases will be from certified sustainable forests only.