Large orangutan Island, February 2015

Some severe clearance going on. Hopefully the trees will remain untouched.

I don't like the sound of Chainsaws at the best of times.

Pertinax said:

I don't like the sound of Chainsaws at the best of times.

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A sound the orangs might have recognised had they lived in Borneo I didn't see any young oil palms waiting to be planted anyway

Gigit said:

I didn't see any young oil palms waiting to be planted anyway

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Though I know you were joking, that might actually make a good exhibit! If within an orang exhibit there were some oil palms, that could act as a very good conservation message. I personally think that all zoos with orangutans should give a message of palm oil, because that is something that visitors can actually do something about themselves (ie. Don't buy palm oil, or products with it) and palm oil trees could give this message well.
Of course, this shouldn't replace other trees or climbing opportunities because palms don't work so well for climbing, and I relise that palms would have to be in an indoor area but it could potentially give a good conservation message.
Does anyone know of any zoos that have live oil palms?

LaughingDove said:

If within an orang exhibit there were some oil palms, that could act as a very good conservation message.

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That is actually a good idea, as long as they didn't reduce the space used by orangs. Being able to compare oil palms with what orangs really need would reinforce the message.

Gigit said:

That is actually a good idea, as long as they didn't reduce the space used by orangs. Being able to compare oil palms with what orangs really need would reinforce the message.

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There could also be a display of products that have palm oil in so that zoo visitors can see how much stuff actually has palm oil in it.