Wildlife Welfare

Orangutan Palm Oil and Habitat Welfare

Palm oil expansion drives orangutan habitat destruction, causing population collapse and individual welfare impacts from habitat loss, conflict, and capture for the pet trade.

Key Facts

Borneo has lost 50% of its orangutan habitat to palm oil, timber, and agricultural expansion since 1970
An estimated 100,000 Bornean orangutans have been lost over the past 16 years
Orangutans trapped by deforestation face starvation, human-wildlife conflict, and capture for the pet trade
Infant orangutans are killed when mothers are shot or captured - the pet trade drives mother mortality
Certified sustainable palm oil (RSPO) prohibits conversion of high conservation value forest

Welfare Considerations

Palm oil-driven deforestation causes both population-level extinction pressure and severe individual welfare impacts. Orangutans displaced by deforestation face starvation in fragmented habitat, conflict with farmers protecting crops, and death or capture when they enter human settlements. Rescued orangutans spend years in rehabilitation before release - if suitable habitat exists. The welfare case for palm oil reform is both a conservation and an animal welfare argument.

What You Can Do

Check product labels and choose RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil products
Support retailers and manufacturers with strong palm oil sourcing policies
Donate to orangutan rescue and rehabilitation organizations like the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
Advocate for EU deforestation regulation implementation and strong enforcement
Support land rights for indigenous communities who protect forests where orangutans live