Bornean Orangutans

STATUS: Critically Endangered

ABOUT

'Man of the forest' is the direct translation of the Malay word Orangutan. These shy creatures have arms and legs resembling those of humans and so it is obvious how they came by their name. A life of solitude comes naturally to them and they spend their lives within the lowland forests, feasting on wild fruit: figs, lychees as well as mangosteens. They even manage to drink water from holes in trees which means they never have to leave the canopy of the forest.

While there are three different species of Orangutan, we are focusing our first collection on the Bornean Orangutan. These human-like animals, which live only in Borneo, have had 500 plant species recorded in their diet and play a vital role in seed dispersal across the lowland forests.

In Borneo, an area twice the size of Wales, (40,000km) has been deforested inhumanely by large corporations in order to continue their production of such things as palm oil. Deforestation on this scale not only damages the Orangutans' eco-system but also destroys the planet as a whole. The problem for the Orangutans is that this is their only natural habitat. Unfortunately, we are not able to save the Orangutans by relocating them because of the size and terrain of Borneo. Once the forests they call home are wiped out, they will not be far behind.

We aim to spread awareness about the tragic decline of Bornean Orangutans and to help reverse this trend by donating part of our proceeds to a charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of the Bornean Orangutan.