October 19, 2015

Help protect orangutans this Halloween and beyond

Palm oil, which is used in many products, from foods to cosmetics, is harvested heavily in areas that are home to endangered orangutans, in Indonesia and Malaysia. This has resulted in the destruction of their critical rainforest habitats, putting extreme pressure on the survival of their populations.

This Halloween is a good opportunity for everyone to help, by looking for candies and other products that use sustainable palm oil sources and show the logos of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) or Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil. The Fossey Fund's host, Zoo Atlanta, is a member of the RSPO and provides more information on their website.

To make it even easier, there's now an app for this on both Apple and Android platforms.

For a more detailed look at palm oil and its impact, visit the palm oil page created by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.