I had the privilege of delivering my painting of chimpanzee Oopsie to the Center for Great Apes today. In the first photo is Patti Ragan who is the director/founder of the Center. We learned that while there used to be 300,000 orangutans in the wild, there are about 30,000 now and they're being slaughtered at a rate that could leave them extinct in the wild within seven years. Farmers are cutting down natural wild rain forests to plant palm trees for palm oil. The farmers use machetes, knives, or guns to kill the orangutans who forage for food, often leaving orphaned babies. Thousands of orphaned baby orangutans are being housed in shelters in Borneo and Sumatra. The farmers who raise palm trees for palm oil are responsible and those of us who buy products containing palm oil can help by changing to products that contain alternative oils.
VIEW SHORT VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKudkqVA_Rw
Oopsie seems delighted to see her painting
Chimps in the dome next to Oopsie's hung out requesting to see the painting
If you are interested in the fantastic work that the Center does in giving retired chimpanzees and orangutans a better life please visit www.centerforgreatapes.org
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