Orangutan Awareness Week (2nd to 8th November) is held to commemorate the establishment of Camp Leakey in 1971. What began as a memorial to honour the work of Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has become a world-wide celebration to encourage action to save orangutans.

Located in the Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Borneo, Camp Leakey is home to many ex-captive orangutans that are now living wild. Some of these released orangutans are now mothers and even grandmothers!

During Orangutan Awareness Week we ask you to make a commitment to help orangutans and protect their rainforest home. You could do this by avoiding products containing palm oil, ensuring your timber products are sustainably sourced, reducing your carbon footprint by planting a tree or by reducing, reusing and recycling. You may consider fostering an orphan orangutan or  making a donation!

We encourage you to share your Orangutan Awareness Week pledge on social media, along with a picture of a heart on your hand. Use the hashtags #mylovesaveslives and #OrangutanAwarenessWeek to help us spread the word!

We hope you’ll join us – your love can save lives!