We were all heartbroken when our beloved Karta tragically passed away last month after experiencing placental detachment issues during labour.
The loss of Karta has left a big hole in our lives and the lives of many others. We want to do something just as big and impactful to honour her life.
We thought about traditional memorials like statues, but we feel that we have an opportunity to do something far more significant and allow the love for Karta to reach far beyond the zoo grounds.
That’s why we’re launching this campaign to raise $20,000 to construct a guard post on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to protect wild orangutans to honour Karta’s memory.
We want Karta’s legacy to be more than just a memorial, it’s an opportunity to literally save wild orangutans and their habitat.
As a conservation charity, 100% of the funds raised by Zoos South Australia will go towards building the guard post in Bukit Tigapuluh, a 360,000ha habitat located in central Sumatra.
Bukit Tigapuluh is one of only two release sites in the world for Sumatran Orangutans, with more than 165 orphan orangutans reintroduced to the region.
Why Karta’s guard post is desperately needed
Karta’s guard post will play a critical role in protecting this population and their habitat from threats such as illegal poaching and logging.
- With less than 7,000 Sumatran and Bornean orangutans estimated to be left in the wild, the guard post is desperately needed before they disappear from the planet forever.
- Unless action is taken now, orangutans could become extinct within the next ten years as the population declines by as many as 1,000 a year.
- The guard post, which will be named in Karta’s honour, will be positioned in an area of Bukit Tigapuluh frequented by illegal loggers and poachers and will be manned by members of The Orangutan Project’s security patrol team.
- Guard posts at other orangutan conservation sites have proved highly successful in deterring illegal activities threatening these beautiful animals.
You can make a difference
While $20,000 may seem like a large amount of money, all it would take is 1,000 people to donate $20 or a handful of people to donate a larger amount and we will have reached our goal.
Please help us build Karta’s guard post so that Karta can be a guardian for her wild cousins and her legacy will save wild orangutans and their habitat.
As a conservation charity, Zoos SA is committed to helping protect orangutans in the wild. Zoos SA supports habitat protection and rescue efforts for orangutans through our partnership with Wildlife Asia, and we are proud to be doing even more to secure the future of this iconic species by raising funds to build the guard post.
Please help us save orangutans in the wild and honour Karta’s legacy.
Thank you for your valuable support,
Jodie and Pij
Primate keepers at Adelaide Zoo
