Many people will know orangutans are an
endangered species, but not necessarily realise
that this endearing and familiar animal will possibly
become the first of the remaining four great apes
to become extinct in our lifetime. A rapidly
growing number of people are now becoming
aware of the Ape Crusaders and the extraordinary
lengths to which they go to save orangutans.
Exclusively because of logging, in recent years
largely driven by oil palm production, orangutan
numbers are falling so fast it is estimated they will
be wiped out within twenty years. Some
orangutans may remain in Malaysia, but across the
border in Indonesia there seems little hope.
What hope there is increasingly depends on a
small, very pro-active group: The Centre for
Orangutan Protection (COP).
In fewer than four years COP's Ape Crusader
team has saved thousands of hectares of forest and
rescued dozens of orangutans over an area close
to 500,000 square kms.Their 4 x wheel drive
Ape Crusader truck donated by British charity
Orangutan Appeal UK is in constant use, day and
night, 365 days a year, taking the COP Rapid
ResponseTeam to far away locations where
orangutans need rescuing from forests being
logged. The work of COP is always difficult and
frequently dangerous.
endangered species, but not necessarily realise
that this endearing and familiar animal will possibly
become the first of the remaining four great apes
to become extinct in our lifetime. A rapidly
growing number of people are now becoming
aware of the Ape Crusaders and the extraordinary
lengths to which they go to save orangutans.
Exclusively because of logging, in recent years
largely driven by oil palm production, orangutan
numbers are falling so fast it is estimated they will
be wiped out within twenty years. Some
orangutans may remain in Malaysia, but across the
border in Indonesia there seems little hope.
What hope there is increasingly depends on a
small, very pro-active group: The Centre for
Orangutan Protection (COP).
In fewer than four years COP's Ape Crusader
team has saved thousands of hectares of forest and
rescued dozens of orangutans over an area close
to 500,000 square kms.Their 4 x wheel drive
Ape Crusader truck donated by British charity
Orangutan Appeal UK is in constant use, day and
night, 365 days a year, taking the COP Rapid
ResponseTeam to far away locations where
orangutans need rescuing from forests being
logged. The work of COP is always difficult and
frequently dangerous.
