The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently downgraded the status of the Bornean orangutan from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered” putting both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans one step closer to extinction. The combined impacts of habitat loss, habitat degradation and illegal hunting have pushed both species toward an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Orangutan Caring Week, an annual event, is a perfect opportunity to spread awareness about the plight of orangutans and the urgent dangers facing their rainforest homes with the goal of motivating people to care – and to care enough to be moved to action, especially in Borneo.
This year Orangutan Caring Week is taking place from 13-19 November and the theme is ‘Critically Endangered, Critically in Need’. We will be taking this message to the people of Palangka Raya city (Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo) on the 13 November. It is crucial that people here are made aware because, only 25km away, Sabangau Forest is home to the world’s largest orangutan population.
We will be holding an event in the centre of the city on ‘car-free day’ to spread awareness about the updated conservation status and to encourage people to stop the annual fires in Borneo, a major threat to the orangutan.
The Borneo Nature Foundation team will be meeting people and talking to them about orangutans and the threats that they face. We will also have a theatre performance and music, an Instagram photo booth to share important conservation messages, a selection of photographs from the I am the Forest photo exhibition as well as children’s activities to keep everyone entertained.
We know you also care about orangutans and there are lots of ways you can get involved in Orangutan Caring Week 2016 too:
Donate Borneo Nature Foundation needs ongoing support for all of our conservation and research efforts to help protect the Bornean orangutan. Without your support our work would not be possible. Please consider making a donation
Spread awareness Only when people are aware will they care! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and share our posts to help get the message out there about the Critically Endangered orangutan. Next week we will be using #OrangutanCaringWeek for all of our event activities. Join us!
Organise your own event Information table, sponsored event, school activity? Go to the Orangutan Caring Week website to find out our more about this initiative and how you can organise your own event.
