New NZ volunteer and supporter Grace Zanchi discovered The Orangutan Project (TOP) and their partnership in the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme when she started volunteering work at Auckland Zoo at the beginning of the year.
Grace said ”Seeing the orangutans and talking to visitors about these beautiful, intelligent and very threatened primates, began her investigations to look further into the damage that rainforest destruction and replacement with unsustainable land-uses such as palm oil plantations cause to their habitat and to the rest of our world”.
Now finalist in the “Miss Auckland” competition she is hoping to create further awareness for the wonderful conservation projects and orangutan protection work that both these charities are involved in. One is helping little Gokong and other orphaned orangutans in giving them a fresh and healthy start through their time at rehabilitation centres. Grace has sponsored little Gokong, who is just one of the many orangutans who get separated from their parents to be sold. Gokong was snatched from his mother after witnessing her brutal torture and then sold by a fisherman for just $10AU to a Palm Oil plantation worker who then kept Gokong locked in his house suffering from severe malnutrition. Gokong was rescued and is now at the Quarantine Centre run by SOCP and financially supported by TOP, gaining strength and learning from his inmates the forest skills required for when he gets released. Grace is holding a fundraiser on the 6th September at the Howick RSA and is looking for good quality donations of clothes to sell with all proceeds going to orangutan conservation!
Please support Grace by donating or going along and buying something for your wardrobe. Contact Grace on 02 11551452 or gracezanchi@gmail.com for further details.
