#OSSPEatLikeAnOrangutanFundraiser
Are you willing to try eating like an orangutan to save them?
#OSSPEatLikeAnOrangutanFundraiser
The Orangutan SSP "Eat Like an Orangutan Fundraiser" asks participants (ex: your zoo's director) to video themselves eating a piece of durian fruit, post the video to their organization's social media accounts and name a colleague or organization that you would like to see participate.
The idea is to create a fun video, add in orangutan education and motivate people to donate to the Orangutan SSP. We ask that participants donate at least $10, or skip the fundraiser and donate at least $100 to the Orangutan SSP. The fundraiser has officially started and will run through August 19th, World Orangutan Day. Will your zoo be participating?
* Interested in participating, click here for a helpful toolkit and additional info: https://bit.ly/OSSPEatLikeAnOrangutan2021
Together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Orangutan Species Survival Program serves the 54 accredited zoos that house orangutans in North America. We work closely with respected professionals to provide help and guidance to zoos caring for orangutans. This fundraiser is in support of those efforts.
The Orangutan SSP is a cooperative management program for AZA accredited zoos which ensures population sustainability and is a resource for the advancement of captive care and supports in situ conservation of the orangutan. Our goal is to give those in our care the best possible lives, and to contribute meaningfully to the conservation of wild orangutans.
The Orangutan SSP financial accounts are housed at Zoo Atlanta, due to this, all monies and receipts will go through ZA verbiage, but 100% of all funds raised with this fundraiser will go to the Orangutan SSP.
#OSSPEatLikeAnOrangutanFundraiser
The Orangutan SSP "Eat Like an Orangutan Fundraiser" asks participants (ex: your zoo's director) to video themselves eating a piece of durian fruit, post the video to their organization's social media accounts and name a colleague or organization that you would like to see participate.
The idea is to create a fun video, add in orangutan education and motivate people to donate to the Orangutan SSP. We ask that participants donate at least $10, or skip the fundraiser and donate at least $100 to the Orangutan SSP. The fundraiser has officially started and will run through August 19th, World Orangutan Day. Will your zoo be participating?
* Interested in participating, click here for a helpful toolkit and additional info: https://bit.ly/OSSPEatLikeAnOrangutan2021
Together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Orangutan Species Survival Program serves the 54 accredited zoos that house orangutans in North America. We work closely with respected professionals to provide help and guidance to zoos caring for orangutans. This fundraiser is in support of those efforts.
The Orangutan SSP is a cooperative management program for AZA accredited zoos which ensures population sustainability and is a resource for the advancement of captive care and supports in situ conservation of the orangutan. Our goal is to give those in our care the best possible lives, and to contribute meaningfully to the conservation of wild orangutans.
The Orangutan SSP financial accounts are housed at Zoo Atlanta, due to this, all monies and receipts will go through ZA verbiage, but 100% of all funds raised with this fundraiser will go to the Orangutan SSP.
AZA members are committed to #orangutan conservation. Between 2018 and 2019, over $2.2 million was spent on orangutan #conservation focused on habitat restoration, rescue and rehabilitation, and education and outreach. #WeAreAZA #AZASAFE #SavingSpecies
AZA's policy statement on the use of apes in commercial entertainment.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recognizes that personal possession of non-human primates has significant negative implications for animal welfare and health as well as public health and safety; therefore, in accordance with AZA’s Board-approved Policy on the Presentation of Animals, AZA does not support personal possession of non-human primates and encourages AZA member organizations not to participate in animal acquisition and transfer activities that may facilitate the personal possession of non-human primates(5).
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recognizes that personal possession of non-human primates has significant negative implications for animal welfare and health as well as public health and safety; therefore, in accordance with AZA’s Board-approved Policy on the Presentation of Animals, AZA does not support personal possession of non-human primates and encourages AZA member organizations not to participate in animal acquisition and transfer activities that may facilitate the personal possession of non-human primates(5).
Orangutans should never be pets, for many of the same reasons that they should not be exploited in the entertainment industry.
Just as with apes bred for performance, those produced by breeders for the exotic pet industry remove them from their mothers as tiny infants, often within days of birth. The argument is that by doing so, the infant will “bond” with the human owner. Such pet owners typically dress the apes in human clothing, keep them in their homes, and treat them like human babies. But just as with performing apes, these baby-substitutes inevitably grow too large, strong, and willful to safely handle. At this point, the owners must cage their “pet” – a confusing and frustrating new reality for the young ape. Even if the pet-owner is able to construct an ape-proof caging system in his home or backyard, the situation will remain unsatisfying and inhumane for both parties – the orangutan, accustomed to a life as a treasured family pet, remains consigned to life in a cage (typically much smaller and less complex than the enclosures zoos and sanctuaries construct for apes), and the family faces the daily guilt and disappointment of managing their former cute and cuddly infant into adulthood. And since orangutans can live more than 50 years in captivity, there is the additional concern of caring for the ape beyond the lifetime of the original owners.
Just as with apes bred for performance, those produced by breeders for the exotic pet industry remove them from their mothers as tiny infants, often within days of birth. The argument is that by doing so, the infant will “bond” with the human owner. Such pet owners typically dress the apes in human clothing, keep them in their homes, and treat them like human babies. But just as with performing apes, these baby-substitutes inevitably grow too large, strong, and willful to safely handle. At this point, the owners must cage their “pet” – a confusing and frustrating new reality for the young ape. Even if the pet-owner is able to construct an ape-proof caging system in his home or backyard, the situation will remain unsatisfying and inhumane for both parties – the orangutan, accustomed to a life as a treasured family pet, remains consigned to life in a cage (typically much smaller and less complex than the enclosures zoos and sanctuaries construct for apes), and the family faces the daily guilt and disappointment of managing their former cute and cuddly infant into adulthood. And since orangutans can live more than 50 years in captivity, there is the additional concern of caring for the ape beyond the lifetime of the original owners.
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The Orangutan Species Survival Plan®
Formed in 1988, the Orangutan SSP is a group of dedicated professionals with five primary goals:
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Welfare of individuals, social groups and populations
Together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Orangutan SSP serves the accredited zoos that house orangutans in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Working closely with respected professionals in the field, the SSP provides help and guidance to zoos housing orangutans. Together, zoos and the SSP seek to provide the best possible environment for these amazing apes. 
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Orangutans in Zoos
Orangutans live in 50+ accredited zoos all across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Find out where they are and more about their exhibits here. 
Photo by Max Block
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Get your Gear On!
Now you can wear your support for the Orangutan SSP! Visit our Cafe Press site to get clothing, drinkware, stickers, and more featuring the Orangutan SSP logo! 
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Resources
This website serves as a central forum for important information for members of the SSP. Click here to enter the Member’s section and find out the latest happenings for and about the Orangutan Species Survival Plan. 
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