Adorable Photos of Rescued Baby Orangutans Are a Sad Reminder of the Impact of Our Snacks

The ideal environment for all wild animals is the natural habitat where they are born. However, due to external circumstances such as climate change and deforestation, the natural habitat for many wild animals is not the safest place for them. This is why organizations like International Animal Rescue (IAR) are essential in the fight to save endangered species from extinction.

IAR helps save critically endangered animals from all around the world. Howler monkeys, slow lorises, macaques, and orangutans are precious primates IAR specializes in rescuing. As great apes, orangutans are one of our closest relatives. Perhaps this is why photos of them succumbing to the aftermath of the palm oil battle hits us extra close to home.

This utterly adorable photo shows a wheelbarrow full of baby orangutans at IAR’s rescue facilities in Borneo. As gorgeous as these babies are, this image is a bittersweet reminder of the habitat loss these great apes are suffering from.

These little guys are precious, but the sad reality is that each and every one of them has lost their family and home to deforestation, largely due to the palm oil industry.

Here an IAR employee takes the orphan orangutans out for a stroll. Without their mothers’ guidance, these babies rely on devoted caretakers to survive. As we can see, the gentle baby is clinging on to the caretaker in a similar manner they would hold on to their mother in the wild.

We are very grateful for the honorable work IAR does. However, they cannot do it alone. Please consider making a donation to Support their world-changing mission, and please share with your friends and family!

The palm oil industry is causing the downfall of the orangutan more than any other. This ingredient can be found in around 50 percent of consumer goods, so as you can imagine, the demand is very high. Orangutans have lost around 90 percent of their forest home to this oil and if we don’t end this destruction, they stand to go extinct within our lifetime. To learn more about how you can cut ties with palm oil for the benefit of orangutans, click here. 

All Image Source: Scott M. Gilbert/Orangutan Odysseys