PRESS RELEASES

Your Toronto Zoo and the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy commit $250,000

to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme

Toronto, ON, Monday, June 27, 2022 – Your Toronto Zoo and the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy are partnering with Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) to provide $250,000 over 10 years to support orangutan conservation in the wild. 

In 2017, the conservation status of Sumatran orangutans was changed from Endangered to Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN). Today, fewer than 15,000 Sumatran orangutans can be found in the wild. Approximately 95% of these orangutans live in the Greater Leuser Ecosystem on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and your Toronto Zoo actively supports conservation work for orangutans and other species in this fragile habitat.

“We’re so grateful to be working with amazing partners like the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme to help save this critically endangered species” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “The world has lost an estimated 120,000 orangutans in the past decade, primarily due to habitat loss. Our mission at your Toronto Zoo is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction, and this partnership is a wonderful example of our commitment to help fight extinction”. 

Commitment to Orangutan Conservation 

The Board of Directors of the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy approved a commitment of $250,000 over ten years to support situ conservation organizations working to save and protect orangutans. 

PanEco Foundations’ Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) been selected as the recipient of these funds and will receive $25,000 a year for the next ten years. 

“We are delighted to be providing this funding commitment to support orangutan conservation”, says Beth Gilhespy, Executive Director of the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy. “The Toronto Zoo and the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy play an important role in primate survival, both at the Zoo and in the wild”, added Gilhespy. “Our 2020 Wildlife Conservation Awareness report showed us how important the Toronto Zoo is for creating awareness of the impacts of palm oil production on orangutan survival. This funding will extend the Toronto Zoo’s impact to direct actions in the field. And the long term nature of the funding will help provide certainty and sustainability for conservation partners who are committed to survival of wild orangutan populations.” 

Foundations’ Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) 

PanEco is a Swiss-based Foundation that for more than 20 years has worked in partnership to protect and conserve orangutans in Sumatra and their rainforest habitat, through the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP); a collaborative initiative run by Indonesian NGO Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL) and the Indonesian Nature Conservation Authorities.   

"Long-term support like this from Toronto Zoo is invaluable in preventing the extinction of Critically Endangered species such as orangutans here in Sumatra” says Dr. Ian Singleton, OBE, Director, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme. “Knowing that we have funds coming in year after year allows us to better plan our conservation activities to be much more effective and impactful, to react promptly to new challenges when they arise, and new opportunities too, knowing we have the resources available." 

PanEco’s mission is to ensure that nature is preserved in its diversity, that we, as humans, take a responsible and mindful approach to nature, and that the causes of climate change are tackled. The SOCP works through science‐based conservation to establish new wild populations deliver landscape‐level protection, sustainable livelihood development, and environmental education and awareness building.  

Some of the orangutans being cared for at the SOCP Quarantine Centre cannot be released to the wild for health or disability reasons. A new project under development, the Orangutan Haven, is the solution for these individuals. At the Haven they will be able to live out their days in optimal welfare conditions on large naturalistic islands and serve as natural ambassadors for their wild counterparts. 

With their first installment of $25,000, this year’s funds will support: 

- Care of the unreleasable orangutans at the Orangutan Haven. Orangutan care consists of food, medical treatment and medical supplies, enrichment, and care staff costs; 

-  A team of dedicated security personnel for the orangutans at the Orangutan Haven; 

- Maintenance and upkeep of the orangutan islands at the Orangutan Haven. The islands provide long‐term homes for unreleasable orangutans. Up‐keep and maintenance will consist of ensuring the water systems and moats surrounding the islands are functioning at the optimal level, replacement of bamboo, ropes, and other similar equipment, plus maintenance of enclosures and other infrastructure 

The Toronto Zoo is also a program partner for the Orangutan SAFE program with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums which aims to protect and restore the wild orangutan population and their habitats through public engagement, funding, and field work. 

To learn more about the OSAFE program click here: www.azaorangutansafe.org