News – Orangutan Foundation International

Best Friends

Ray and Larry love hanging out on their daily releases to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine baby playground. Larry is more timid than Ray and sometimes needs Ray’s encouragement to start exploring the playground. Often Larry will sit in his caregiver’s lap while Ray climbs around the jungle gym.

Please support OFI in a chance to win up to $250K.

Update: Voting has ended and OFI has won a $25,000 grant. Thank you again for supporting orangutans and OFI’s efforts to conserve them. OFI needs your help to win part of a three million dollar Chase grant. Time is critical and if OFI can stay within the top 100 charities voted for through Facebook, OFI… Continue reading Please support OFI in a chance to win up to $250K.

OFI and the Indonesian Rainforest Crisis featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes II

The CBS News magazine 60 Minutes II, broadcast a report featuring the orangutan’s plight, Camp Leakey and Dr Galdikas on January 2nd. “The Last Place on Earth: The closest living relatives to humankind are the great apes, gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. Their DNA is about 95 percent the same as man. Does that mean apes… Continue reading OFI and the Indonesian Rainforest Crisis featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes II

Great Ape Conservation Bill Signed Into Law!

Los Angeles – Dr. Biruté M.F. Galdikas, President, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) thanked President Clinton and the U.S. Congress for passing and signing into law HR 4320, the “Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000.” The bill, signed into law by the President on November 1, 2000 authorizes $5 million in annual U.S. aid to fund… Continue reading Great Ape Conservation Bill Signed Into Law!

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3838 [post_author] => 10283 [post_date] => 2000-11-10 02:09:06 [post_date_gmt] => 2000-11-10 10:09:06 [post_content] => Los Angeles - Dr. Biruté M.F. Galdikas, President, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) thanked President Clinton and the U.S. Congress for passing and signing into law HR 4320, the "Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000." The bill, signed into law by the President on November 1, 2000 authorizes $5 million in annual U.S. aid to fund local wildlife management authorities and other organizations in Asia and Africa dedicated to protecting all four great apes - chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos. Unfortunately, all four great apes are presently endangered and face potential extinction in the next 20 years. Chief among the threats to orangutans are the continued habitat destruction of Indonesian rain forests caused by illegal logging and illegal gold mining. In addition, the continued establishment of palm oil plantations and the use of clear cutting to open up the forests for these plantations are having a detrimental effect in preserving important orangutan rainforest habitat. Without the forest, orangutans and other wildlife will not survive. Galdikas, in remarks about the bill stated "OFI is most thankful to the United States government for providing this critically needed funding. OFI looks forward to working with the local people and the government of Indonesia and other interested parties in implementing management plans and policies to insure the survival of orangutans in the wild." Further Dr. Galdikas stated, "President Clinton and the leadership of the House and Senate have taken a critically important step in bringing world attention and important funding to the plight of all of the Great Apes. The Orangutan Foundation International applauds this action!" Further, "The entire environmental and conservation communities look forward to this new source of funds to help accelerate meaningful plans and programs to protect all of the great apes." The U.S. Department of the Interior will administer the Great Ape Bill through the Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is expected these federal funds will begin to be distributed for needed programs beginning October 1, 2001. For further information about the Great Ape Conservation Act and OFI's programs, please contact the OFI office. [post_title] => Great Ape Conservation Bill Signed Into Law! [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => great-ape-conservation-bill-signed-into-law [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2014-09-13 18:34:16 [post_modified_gmt] => 2014-09-13 18:34:16 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.orangutan.org/?p=3838 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )