Director of Karisoke Research Center to Speak at Zoo Atlanta

For the next installment of the Conservation Lecture Series, Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Katie Fawcett will report on gorilla conservation.

Director of the Karisoke Research Center of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International since 2002, Dr. Fawcett will speak about the current conservation status of gorillas and Rwanda's Karisoke Center, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year and thus stands as one of the longest running field research programs in the world.

Dr. Fawcett received her Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh where she studied the behavior and ecology of chimpanzees living in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. As director of the Karisoke Center, Dr. Fawcett oversees various activities, including daily monitoring of and research on the three 'Karisoke' groups of gorilla, which represent 1/3 of the remaining Virunga mountain gorilla population; research programs on the biodiversity of the Volcanos National Park and surrounding areas; education programs aimed at increasing the knowledge of park staff, university students and local communities about gorillas and biodiversity conservation; and the care of confiscated orphaned gorillas.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with complimentary beverages served from 6:30 - 7:00 p.m.; lecture begins promptly at 7:00 p.m .

Admission: $5 for Members; $7 for non-Members. FREE for Serengeti and above Members!

Please RSVP by Friday, November 9.

Primates in peril

The edge of oblivion: conservationists name 25 primates about to disappear
Guardian Unlimited, October 26, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7584

Orangutan Island

"Orangutan Island" is a new series featured on Animal Planet; it debuts on November 2nd
Here is a link to find out more about it:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/orangutan-island/orangutan-island.html

$75,000 TO BORNEO REHABILITATION CENTER

ORANGUTAN CONSERVANCY DIRECTS $75,000 TO BORNEO REHABILITATION CENTER

The Orangutan Conservancy, which raises funds and awareness on behalf of orangutan projects in Southeast Asia, today directed a $75,000 grant from the Arcus Foundation's Great Apes Fund to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Borneo to protect and care for the orphaned apes.

The funds will be used to construct new quarantine facilities, erect fences to protect island release habitats, and purchase fire-fighting equipment for the staff at Nyaru Menteng, which cares for over 600 injured and unwanted orangutans at its facility in Central Kalimantan.

The donation was announced at the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) Husbandry Workshop at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

Recent Orangutan Workshop

Several of ACE's board members have just returned from a workshop held at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo which focused on orangutan conservation and care of orangutans in zoological settings. It was an international gathering of field scientists, zoo personnel, and academics all of whom are concerned about the critical nature of orangutan survival. Below are two links to related articles as a result of this meeting.


Brookfield experts make an appeal for the apes
Chicago Daily Herald, October 19, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7569

Answers sought to save Asia's orangutans
Independent Online, October 19, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7570

Hogle Zoo pitching in expertise to help save Bornean orangutans
http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_7202315

Halloween Candy

Be an informed consumer for Halloween and be careful about the candies you buy and give out. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff have been very diligently researching palm oil and disseminating the information so that more people can choose wisely when they shop.

"Like many zoos, we have a Halloween event (ours is called Boo at the Zoo) with sponsors handing out candy. In the past the sponsors brought their own candy. To have better control over the quality we are now charging the sponsors a fee and we provide the candy. So, to help our events staff make candy decisions that reflect our commitment to the palm oil issue, we went to a large national store where we are going to purchase the candy, and looked at the labels of all the candy products offered there. Here are the results of our research, if anyone would like to use this list. Candy choices - palm oil info <http://www.cmzoo.org/Palmoil-candy.pdf> You can also access this list on the CMZ palm oil page, look for the pumpkins."

Hope it is helpful!
Dina Bredahl,
Animal Care ManagerCheyenne Mountain Zoo

Recently in the news

Sierra Leone steps up efforts to save chimpanzees
AFP, October 2, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7509

Malaysia returns four orangutans to Indonesia
AFP, September 27, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7497

Guerrilas in Their Midst
Smithsonian, October 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7488

Congo rangers break suspected gorilla traffic ring
Reuters, September 25, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7489

Orphan chimps turned killer find Leone refuge
Scientific American, September 26, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7491

'Green Fuel' Harming Rainforests
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-1286104,00.html

Dian Fossey Fund Expands to Help Save Congo Mountain Gorillas
E-Wire, September 21, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7473

Fate of Western Lowland Gorillas is worsened

On Thursday, October 11, Minnesota Public Radio hosted an hour-long program on the worsening situation of the western gorilla, which has been recently reassessed as Critically Endangered. To explore this and related issues in great ape conservation, MPR interviewed Peter Walsh of the Max Planck Institute, whose research has documented the severe effects of Ebola on great ape populations, and Michael Hoffmann, a biodiversity analyst with IUCN and a key figure in the recent great apes assessment.

Listen to the broadcast:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/11/midmorning2

Don't be fooled by biofuel claims

Indonesia's government is supporting a new initiative to increase palm oil plantations to provide palm oil for biofuel. See the following article:
http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=indonesia_peatland

A related article about paying countries to protect rainforests:
http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=climate_rainforest


Oil for ape scandal - research report
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/oil_for_ape_full.pdf

World Conservation Union Publishes New Red List

The new World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List has been published.
www.iucn.org/redlist

Gorillas now 'critically endangered'
Associated Press, September 12, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7469

Satellite Tracking Reveals Threats To Borneo Pygmy Elephants

The fact that destruction of forests in Indonesia affects the survival of species other than orangutans is not surprising. Destroying an ecosystem has far reaching effects on all flora and fauna that rely upon that ecosystem for life.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809204625.htm

Of interest...

It has been awhile since the last posting...apologies to those who regularly check the blog. Here are a few links for you to peruse.

NASA images show expansion of logging in Congo rainforest -- 07/15/2007New high resolution images of logging roads in the Congo region of Africa are helping researchers understand the expansion of industrial logging in Central Africa.

Beware biofuel promises. Although, in theory, biofuel sounds as though is could solve some of our oil dependency issues, more and more information is becoming available indicating this is not the case. Additionally, some biofuel admixtures use palm oil (say it isn't so).
Corn ethanol is not the solution to energy independence -- 07/18/2007A new report claims that corn ethanol will not significantly offset U.S. fossil fuel consumption without "unacceptable" environmental and economic consequences.

And, as if gorillas and orangutans don't have enough to contend with in their struggle to survive the onslaught of anthropogenic factors...
Rare gorillas slaughtered in mass killing -- 07/24/2007At least four critically endangered gorillas have been killed in Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park. National Geographic News reports they were shot "execution-style". Illegal charcoal harvesters are leading suspects in the slaying. Two other gorillas are missing and feared dead.

Coal mining threatens the "Heart of Borneo" -- 07/25/2007Coal mining in Borneo imperils the island's fast-disappearing forests and threatens to undermine the effectiveness of an monumental conservation initiative, according to a report from the The Sunday Times and Parliamentary testimony.

More Articles of Interest

Here are a few more articles worth perusing...

U.N.: Orangutans' survival faces threat
http://www.centredaily.com/living/health/story/122371.html

Ugandan chimps threatened by massive felling of forests
Hindustan Times, June 12, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7269

Logging may wreck orangutan forests in decade-UN
Reuters, June 11, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7266

98% of orangutan habitat gone in next 15 years
mongabay.com, June 11, 2007
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0611-indonesia.html

Rare gorilla orphaned when mother shot dead
MSNBC, June 11, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7265

Reminder!

Don't forget that Orangutan Diary is being aired on Animal Planet this evening (June 10) at 8 p.m. There will be opportunities to view this program, so check your local listings.

Continuing News about Palm Oil

Here is yet another interesting article with regard to palm oil and great ape survival. Please note, though, that when Dr. Leakey gives a time period of 100 - 200 years for the great apes to reach extinction, he is lumping all the ape genera together. Individually, the time table is much shorter.

In addition to this article, there are a number of links to prior related articles.

Great apes 'facing climate peril'
BBC News, May 30, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7230

Some Things to Know about Palm Oil

One of ACE's missions is to educate the public about issues that affect great ape survival. A serious threat to orangutans and their habitat is palm oil production. Palm oil is made from the fruit pulp or seed kernels of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Because of the recent health issues attributed to trans-fats, palm oil (a saturated fat) is being used as a replacement because it solidifies (without hydrogenation) when it is removed from its natural tropical climate.

Palm oil is ubiquitous; it is found in commercially baked goods, household products, soaps, lotions, makeup and even chocolate (oh! say it isn't so!!!).

Palm oil plantations often use slash and burn clearing methods to prepare new land for planting. As the demand for palm oil increases, plantation owners seek to expand their land holdings, further destroying forests and their inhabitants. Indonesia and Malaysia are top exporters of palm oil; Indonesia and Malaysia are the only places on earth that orangutans can be found in the wild.

This issue requires a solution more complex than merely calling for a boycott of all products containing palm oil. Firstly, the use of palm oil is too widespread for a ban to be plausible. Secondly, for many Indonesians and Malaysians, harvesting this product is the only source of income. Instead, ACE urges everyone to become informed consumers. Check product labels and try to purchase items without palm oil whenever possible; however, when this is not feasible, contact the companies and ask them if their palm oil is from a sustainable yield source. You can help create a conprehensive list for others to access by sending the information you obtain to palmoil@cmzoo.org

Staff at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have designed a wonderful site to help consumers become proactive, informed and concientious. Here is the link: www.cmzoo.org\palmoil.html

And, here is a very recent article about palm oil and its effects on orangutan populations:
Palm oil puts squeeze on Asia's endangered orangutan
Reuters, May 28, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7226

Moritorium on Breeding for Research

U.S. stops breeding chimps for research
Reuters, May 24, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7225

Orangutan Diary

"Orangutan Diary" will be airing on Animal Planet on June 10th, featuring the work of Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
Here's a link to showtimes:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=15.15172.116984.0.0

Recently in the Media

Here are a few links to stories recently in the news...

Orangutans attend "jungle school" (rehabilitating orphaned orangutans)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=455397&in_page_id=1811

DR Congo rebel threat to gorillas
BBC News, May 21, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7185

Uganda: Chimpanzees in Danger From Population
New Vision, Uganda, May 20, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7189

Orangutans face bleak struggle to survive
Austin American-Statesman, May 13, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7174

Orangutan Conservancy Press Release

ORANGUTAN CONSERVANCY SENDS FUNDS TO BATTLE BORNEO CRISIS

The Orangutan Conservancy, which raises funds and awareness on behalf of orangutan projects in Southeast Asia, today sent $25,000 to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Borneo in order to buy food, medicine and vital supplies for orphaned apes.

Nyaru Menteng is home to over 600 injured and unwanted orangutans, many of which have been confiscated from poachers or illegal traders. But rampant deforestation, hunting and human encroachment in Borneo have caused a recent surge in orphaned orangutans. Nyaru Menteng confiscated 80 infant orangutans and rescued 223 adults last year, the highest number since the facility opened eight years ago.

At the current rate of decline, experts predict that orangutans will cease to exist in the wild within 25 years. As few as 50,000 are believed to remain in Borneo and Sumatra, two islands that are governed by Indonesia and Malaysia .

The Orangutan Conservancy has supported Nyaru Menteng since 2000, and believes the orphanage – which was created to care for less than half its current orangutan population – is emblematic of Indonesia ’s deep environmental crisis.

“Every day, orangutans move that much closer to extinction,” said Norm Rosen, acting president of the Orangutan Conservancy. “We are pleased to be able to help Nyaru Menteng in this current crisis, but for how much longer can they keep taking in orphans at this rate? Something has to be done to protect the forest as well as the animals that live there.”

It is estimated that Indonesia has already lost more than 72 percent of its original frontier forests, and continues to clear another one percent each year. Much of the recent devastation has been caused by fires and the rush to cultivate palm oil for overseas markets. Meteorological forecasts for 2007 warn that El Nino weather patterns across Southeast Asia could produce some of the worst fires in a decade.

The Orangutan Conservancy was established in 1998 to support projects that focus on wild orangutan protection, reintroduction, education, and research.

In the News

Here is the first, of what I hope will be many, informational posts to this blog.

Last month, ACE celebrated APEril - a month long conglomerate of fund-raising events and public awareness programs. Although we did not bring in as much money as we had hoped, we feel that we were able to get our message out to many people.

On the grounds of Zoo Atlanta, we conducted our second annual Party for Primates; a day of informational and fun activities for adults and children alike.

Another repeat activity occurred at the end of the month at the Inman Park Festival. Our vendor booth is a diverse combination of items for sale and information about great apes and conservation.

This year's APEril celebration culminated with a dinner at Max & Erma's (Dunwoody) whereby 20% of each meal was donated to our organization.

Thanks to everyone who supported our efforts!