The event started off as Orangutan Awareness Week but as with so many other species, it’s clear that raising awareness just isn’t enough.

We need to care enough to take action and save these amazing animals and their rainforest homes.

Rainforests matter

Rainforests and ecosystems are essential to all our health and wellbeing and they need to be sustainably managed so that they can continue to help us all stay well.   They help moderate the climate, they are critical to maintain water quality and for erosion control.   They are known for their biodiversity.  It’s important that people know that rainforests matter for ALL our wellbeing.

The Orangutan Caring Week 2020:

The theme this year is:  Protecting Biodiversity for a healthy planet”

And how appropriate that theme is.  Covid-19 has really raised awareness of how all our health and wellbeing is interlinked. 

COVID-19 hasn’t yet been observed in great apes, but scientific evidence shows that they are susceptible to diseases transmitted by humans.  And scientists fear that the virus could jump to gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans, who share 97 to 99% of their DNA with people.

The orangutans are also facing habitat loss, habitat degradation, illegal hunting, and an illegal pet trade.

Every precaution is being taken to protect the orangutans and staff at rescue and rehabilitation centres.  Unfortunately, this means that expenses are rising as centres have to buy in food, gowns, gloves and testing.   More orangutans are coming into the centres who need to be cared for.

The climate crisis and mass extinction threatening thousands of animals and plants mean that the need for action is clear.

Orangutans have lived in harmony with nature for millions of years.  And now, because of human activity, their populations have plummeted by over 50% over the past 60 years.  Their habitat has been reduced by 55% in the last 20 years alone.

We must protect wildlife habitats.

Some of the newest disease – Ebola, SARS, Covd-19 – have come about when humans have crossed the natural barriers between people and animal populations.  We must give critically endangered species their right to safe, thriving habitats, where they can be unbothered by people. 

Save orangutans and we are making changes to perhaps protect all life on earth. 

5 ways to help:

1. Learn about the issues
2. Take action for orangutans.  Do something to help.
3. Spread the word
4. Donate
5. Take a look at orangutan conservation charities to see how you can help.

 Action is needed to save the orangutan and their rainforest home.

 If ever there was a time to care, that time is now!

#OrangutanCaringWeek   #OCW

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Animals Asia have launched an urgent appeal for help so that they can rescue two moon bears.

The charity do not know what sort of condition the bears are in, but they do know that they are trapped in cages on a bile farm.

The farm is 65 kilometres from Animals Asia’s Vietnam sanctuary – and they are living in unbearable pain and misery.

The aim is to bring these bears from the bile farm to Animals Asia’s sanctuary.  There they can be cared for in safety.

The bears will have a long recovery ahead of them, but the first step is to secure their release from the bile farm.

Can you help? 

• Donate
• And/or spread the word

Animals Asia has an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnamese government to end bear bile farming by 2022 and to rehome over 400 bears who are still on bear bile farms in Vietnam.

Uno has just been rescued…
No sky over his head or grass beneath his paws
because he’d lived in a cage for 18 years

Can you help Animals Asia rescue two more moon bears?

The charity most recently rescued Uno, who had spent 18 years with no sky above him and no grass beneath his paws.  The male Asiatic black bear (moon bear) was handed over by the family who had kept him in his cage for 18 years.

The rescue occurred just a few minutes from Phung Thuong Village.   This is the largest bear bile farming region in Vietnam.  146 bear are still in a cage for bile extraction.

Voluntary surrenders to Animals Asia are really important because they show a change in attitude and also that kindness to bears really matters.

The rescue was a significant step towards our goal as it took place just minutes down the road from Phung Thuong Village, the largest bear bile farming region in Vietnam, where 146 bears remain caged for bile extraction.

Visit Animals Asia's website

Now, the 23 October to 1 November is National Mammal Week.

It's a chance to celebrate our mammals and their conservation in Britain - and a chance to raise awareness of how we can all help.

 Image ©  The Mammal Society

The British Isles are home to around 90 species of mammal in the land, air and sea.  And the Mammal Society was established back in 1954

It advocates "science-led mammal conservation, leading efforts to collect and share information on mammals, encourage research to learn more about their ecology, distribution and contribute meaningfully to efforts to conserve them".

There are plenty of ways you can get involved, from surveys to donating to their latest appeal (Hogs on Roads), becoming a member to spreading the word.

Find out more about it here.