What is Palm Oil? And why does it matter?

WHAT IS PALM OIL?

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil derived from the palm fruit, grown on the African oil palm tree. This tropical tree species originated in West Africa, but now grows as a hybrid plant in many parts of the world, including South East Asia, Central America and South America.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

As an ingredient, palm oil is found in at least four out of 10 household products. Worldwide palm oil consumption is doubling every 10 years. This oil is produced from palm oil plantations that continue the practice of cutting down critical wildlife habitat to expand operations, mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia. More than 85 percent of all palm oil globally produced and exported is from Indonesia and Malaysia, where the palm oil industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and human rights abuses.

Large-scale deforestation linked to unsustainable palm oil practices is pushing many species to extinction. Animal species worldwide that are connected to your favorite Zoo animals - including Asian elephants Savannah and Juno, Sumatran orangutans Ibu, Khaleesi and Butch, and Malayan tigers Seri, Belahat, Melor - could go extinct in the wild if nothing changes and the palm oil industry continues its current practices.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Be a consumer conservationist: Conservation is people. Sustainable agriculture is the only way to stop the damage to the rainforest while helping farming communities.

• .       Only purchase certified sustainable palm oil products, or products that are palm oil free.

• .       Write to restaurants and companies and ask them to support certified sustainable palm oil and palm oil free products.

Visit the Zoo! When you come to visit or join as a Zoological Society member, you help us contribute to conservation efforts worldwide.

Candy with A CAUSE - Halloween 2015 Shopping List!

How your trick-or-treat candy can help orangutans worldwide!

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend more than 2.1 billion dollars on candy this Halloween, so this is the perfect opportunity to become a consumer conservationist with the El Paso Zoo. We take pride in creating opportunities to show our support and contributions to preserve our natural world!

Boo at the Zoo is El Paso’s largest and WILDEST trick-or-treat celebration! We are also excited to share the unique opportunity to present the fourth palm oil conscience Boo at the Zoo. This means we will only be handing out candy from brands using certified sustainable palm oil, or no palm oil. We are asking you to join us by only passing out certified sustainable palm oil candy too!

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil derived from the palm fruit. As an ingredient, palm oil is found in at least four out of 10 food, candy or personal care products. This oil is produced from palm oil plantations that continue the practice of cutting down critical wildlife habitat to expand operations, mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia. More than 85 percent of all palm oil globally produced and exported is from Indonesia and Malaysia, where the palm oil industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, an area the equivalent size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production. This large-scale deforestation is pushing many species to extinction. Habitat loss and deforestation is the No. 1 threat to orangutans worldwide!

Many of the animal species like the ones at our Zoo – including Sumatran orangutans Ibu, Khaleesi and Butch, - could go extinct in the wild if nothing changes and the palm oil industry continues its current practices. Meanwhile, the world's consumption of palm oil is doubling every 10 years.

Helping orangutans is easy! 

1) Support a sustainably sourced and deforestation free palm oil industry as a consumer conservationist by only purchasing certified sustainable palm oil candy! Check this list of certified sustainable palm oil candy as you prepare for Boo at the Zoo and Halloween.


2) With our Boo at the Zoo candy sponsor Walmart, we are also challenging you to participate in ONEday Monday. By changing one palm oil product in your home to one that is certified palm oil free, you can help save the rainforest – and orangutans! We have also provided a list of names for palm oil and its derivatives so next time you’re shopping at Walmart, you can easily make the switch.


3) Also, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has an app to help as you shop for certified sustainable palm oil candy - and more! Available on IPhone and Android, you can download the app at http://www.cmzoo.org/index.php/palm-oil-app/.




So join us in consumer conservation … AND join us at Boo at the Zoo for Halloween fun for everyone at El Paso’s WILDEST trick-or-treat in town!

Boo at the Zoo is 10a.m. to 4 p.m. October 24th and 25th. All activities included with regular Zoo admission. First 2,000 kids each day get a FREE trick-or-treat bag …

We’ll be waiting for you … at the El Paso Zoo!

PALM OIL DERIVATIES:
arachamide mea

capric triglyceride

caprylic triglyceride

caprylyl glycol

cetyl alcohol

cocoa butter equivalent (CBE)

cocoa butter substitute (CBE)

elaeis guineensis

emulsifier (some can be palm oil derived)

epoxidized palm oil (UV cured coatings)

ethylene glycol monostearate

ethylhexyl palmitate

fatty alcohol sulphates

glyceryl stearate

isopropyl

isopropyl palmitate

mono-glycerides of fatty acids

myristoyl

octyl palmitate

oleyl betaine

palm kernel oil

palm oil

palm olein

palm stearine

palmitate

palmitoyl oxostearamide

palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3

peg-100 stearate

peptide complex

saponified elaeis guineensis

sls

sodium lauryl

sodium lauryl sulphate

sodium lauryl sulfate

sodium lauryl sulfoacetate

sodium palm kernelate

sodium palmate

sodium stearate

sodium laureth sulfate

sodium laureth sulphate

sodium lauroyl lactylate

stearamidopropyl dimethylamine

steareth-2

steareth-20

steareth-21

stearic acid

vegetable oil

vitamin A palmitate

Dental Conservation

Though it’s too soon for Khaleesi to have teeth come in, the keepers at the El Paso Zoo are monitoring the baby’s dental development in order to contribute to worldwide conservation research! This is a perfect example of how Zoos contribute to worldwide conservation efforts.  On a daily basis using positive reinforcement training, the orangutan trainers will cue Ibu to present Khaleesi to them. This allows the keepers and trainers to examine Khaleesi up close.  Khaleesi is accustomed to the orangutan care staff and will allow them to examine her gums for any teeth that may be coming in. Again, at the moment, none are coming in. However, Khaleesi does appear to have healthy gums!

Dental observations help sanctuaries and wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Indonesia and Asia, where deforestation and poaching have led to orphaned animals, estimate the age of the orphans.

When orangutans are observed in the wild or when they are orphaned in sanctuaries and rehabilitation facilities in South East Asia, the birth dates are usually unknown. Likewise, all current research indicates that cutting teeth – and when a baby starts teething – is less affected by environment than was previously believed. That means that zoo babies can be good models for tooth eruption in wild orangutans even though they grow up in different environments.

Only 1 out of 6 orphans are lucky enough to be rescued – more than 1,000 orphaned orangutans are living in rescue and rehabilitation centers. Orphans may have lost their mothers because of poaching, or the mother might have been killed from wandering into an encroaching palm oil or paper plantation. Poachers who kill the mother often illegally sell the orphaned infant orangutans as pets.

By helping conservationists come closer to gaging the age of the orphans, this information can help them better plan and prepare orangutans for release into the wild. Also, more correct and consistent age assignment will help build stronger cases for enforcement of existing laws that protect orangutans in areas suffering from deforestation, poaching and other threats.

•  Orangutans (and humans) only get one set of molars, but two sets of premolars.

• Orangutans have 20 baby teeth and 32 permanent adult teeth.

• Orangutan dental emergence, or teeth coming in, is markedly slower than in chimpanzees and more closely parallels humans.

Model Behavior

Have you brought your babies to see Ibu’s baby Khaleesi?

Ibu has been observed mimicking human mommy behavior! If you’ve been a new mommy, maybe you’ve looked to your friends and colleagues (and blogs!) for tips and advice. 

Since the day Khaleesi was born, the orangutan keepers have spent many hours making daily observations of Ibu and Khaleesi to contribute orangutan conservation and research worldwide. As scientists, the keepers are documenting crucial information by taking pictures and notating the orangutan’s behavior in their observation logs. 

Keepers are observing Ibu modeling the same parental behavior as human mommies trying to care for their babies! On this day, Ibu intently watched as this mom held her baby close to the side of her body.  Ibu tried to mimic the same pose.

And if you’ve ever wrapped your baby or used a baby carrier, maybe you have felt just like an orangutan mom…your infant holding on to you – hands free!

Ibu and Khaleesi are now on exhibit all day Friday – Monday. Please note they do have access to their indoor living spaces and may not be immediately visible during that time.

New Hours! Come visit Mommy and baby Friday - Monday!

Mommy Ibu and  Baby Khaleesi are now on exhibit Friday - Monday all day! Stop by on the weekends and see the baby.

Daddy Butch will be on exhibit Tuesday - Thursday.

Please remember the orangutans have access to their indoor living spaces and many not be immediately visible.

that sweet Baby Face

Ibu is very attentive, as you can see in this moment the zookeepers captured between mommy and baby. On this particular day, she was being playful with Khaleesi.

Ibu checks her nearly four-month old's face to make sure she’s doing okay and is comfortable.  Mommy and daughter are making direct eye contact so Ibu can be sure Khaleesi is fine with her playful acts. Orangutan mothers and infants are just like human primates.  They will communicate verbally, as well as by subtle facial expressions.

Then, pressing her mouth to Khaleesi’s forehead, Ibu gages the baby’s temperature to make sure she’s not too hot. If you’re a mommy, maybe you remember just looking at your baby like this to make sure he or she was doing okay … or maybe you remember just bringing your little one in close for that sweet baby head smell.