Join us for Red Ape Rally Day! If you are visiting Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on August 28, stop by Primate World to celebrate orangutan conservation. Advance tickets are required.
DATE: Thursday, August 28
TIME: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Primate World
Activities for the whole family will create Zoo memories while raising awareness for orangutan conservation and sustainable palm oil.
— Build your own orangutan nest out of different materials.
— Stop by our photo booth, petition-signing table and coloring stations.
— Play a palm oil grocery game where you will learn about shopping for products containing sustainable palm oil.
— Watch special orangutan enrichment and a keeper talk at 1:30 p.m.
Why is orangutan conservation and sustainable palm oil awareness important?
Palm oil is an edible oil that can be found in about half of the products consumers purchase. Because of high demand, unsustainable palm oil production has resulted in deforestation across Southeast Asia, and other tropical areas, which means critically endangered species like orangutans are losing their homes.
However, boycotting palm oil is not the solution. When produced sustainably, palm oil is the most productive edible oil available. Oil palms – the trees that palm oil comes from – produce four to ten times more oil than alternatives like soy, olive, canola and coconut. Switching to these alternatives would cause even more deforestation in tropical areas.
Download the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) free mobile smartphone app, PalmOil Scan, from the Apple App Store or Google Play today. Just open your app, scan a product’s barcode, and see how that company ranks. If they haven’t committed to sustainable palm oil, consider instead supporting a similar company that has. This app was developed under the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) and regionally managed by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. PalmOil Scan is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
If worldwide consumers show a preference for companies that source only sustainable palm oil, we can create a demand that other companies can’t ignore. By taking action together and contacting companies to ask that they only use 100% physical RSPO-certified palm oil, we can prevent more deforestation and help endangered animals recover in the wild.
Download the app today and learn more at cmzoo.org/palmoil.