INTERNATIONAL ORANGUTAN DAY

For the love of orangutans, International Orangutan Day on August 19th spreads awareness about the threat of their extinction. Celebrate these fantastic apes and encourage the public to take action in protecting them.

Long ago, the people of Borneo and Sumatra encountered a hairy, red ape swinging from branch to branch in the lush green Indonesian forests. Recognising its likeness with humans, they named it ‘orangutan,’ meaning ‘person of the forest.’

These gentle apes soon became an important part of many cultures and the subject of local myths and legends. Today, some believe orangutans are reincarnations of humans, or that orangutans can become humans during the day, only returning to their true form after dark. There are three species of orangutans, including the Bornean, the Sumatran, and the Tapanuli. Sadly, all three of these species are endangered.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are only 104,700 Bornean orangutans, 7,500 Sumatran orangutans, and only 800 Tapanuli orangutans. Sadly, the biggest threats to an orangutan’s existence are humans. For example, deforestation encroaches on their habitat. Additionally, illegal hunting takes 3,000 orangutan lives each year. Some wildlife experts predict the orangutan’s extinction in the wild within the next 50 years.

August 19th marks International Orangutan Day. The BOSF partner network and its friends around the world will come together digitally in support of the #OrangutanFreedom campaign – showing that there is worldwide support for orangutan conservation efforts and supporting this year’s goal of bringing more orangutans to the wild.

To recognize the most iconic victim of the palm oil industry, International Orangutan Day has been set for August 19th, EVERY YEAR! This event is to help encourage the public to take action in preserving this amazing species. Something has to be done to save orangutans and that is the reason for International Orangutan Day!

We are proud supporters of the non-profit organisation Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF). This incredible foundation rescues and releases orangutans back into the forest saving them from extinction.

Mediscrubs are honoured and proud of the work the BOSF has done and keeps doing to save the Orangutans. We have donated scrubs to their incredible team to head out on their rescue missions and will continue to support them in the future.

HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalOrangutanDay

If you want to help save the orangutans, consider these suggestions:

• Volunteer at your local zoo
• Donate to an orangutan rescue organization
• Go to RedApes.org and adopt an orangutan
• Learn how deforestation is threatening the existence of these red apes
• Take a photo of one of these amazing apes and post it to World Orangutan Events Facebook Page