[Anthropgrad] Talk and Trivia night

[Heather Leasor]

To Whom It May Concern,

The orangutans' rain forest is being felled for palm oil and other crops
at an overwhelming rate with the remaining forest being degraded by
drought and forest fires. Extinction in the wild is likely in the next
10 years for Sumatran Orangutans and soon after for Bornean Orangutans.
We need to recognize the massive amount of suffering being inflicted on
a species that is 97% genetically identical to humans. Orangutans are
highly intelligent animals. Their intelligence is comparable to that of
a five or six year old child. Surely these self-aware animals deserve
the right to live and to be free from torture and exploitation?
Protecting the orangutan also protects the surrounding ecosystem and
myriad of endangered and exotic species. Saving the orangutan saves the
forest.

The Australian Orangutan Project <http://www.orangutan.org.au/>
supports many orangutan conservation organizations. AOP is a non profit
organization staffed by volunteers to raise funds and collect donations
for Orangutan Conservation and habitat protection.

Adapt2Eco <http://www.adapt2eco.com.au/> is sponsoring an event for the
AOP being held in February, 2009. "Talk and Trivia" is a fun,
entertaining trivia evening where people can have a good time, meet new
people and win some great prizes while supporting a great cause. It will
be a trivia night with talks from orangutan experts (Leif Cocks and
Hardi Baktiantoro) lecturing on the current situation and what people
can do to help. All money raised will go directly to Orangutan
Conservation efforts. 


A CRY FROM THE WILD A Rare Insight into the Threatened World of the

Orangutan from Two Dedicated Men

Leif Cocks - President of the Australian Orangutan Project (AOP) &

Hardi Baktiantoro - from the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP)

What: Fundraising Trivia Night

When: Sunday 22nd February

Where: Eastlake Football Club, 3 Oxley Street, Griffith ACT

Time: 6pm

Tickets: $20 adults, $15 Children under 15 years

Guest Speakers: Leif Cocks & Hardi Baktiantoro

Tickets sales & enquiries contact Annaleis:

ACT at orangutan.org.au or 0408 415 451

Purchase your tickets online at www.adapt2eco.com.au

(table limit 10 people)

Proceeds to Orangutan conservation

HARDI BAKTIANTORO is one of Indonesia's most experienced activist for
orangutan conservation. Since 2007 Hardi has been a vigorous campaigner

for Center for Orangutan Protection (COP); the only fully Indonesian
group of its kind dedicated to the conservation of Orangutans. COP is a
non-religious, non-political and non-profit t charity organisation,
working proactively to champion the cause of protection of the orangutan
and their habitat. Over the years the COP team has rescued numerous
orangutans from the ever expanding palm oil fields. In early 2007, in
response to the massive exploitation and slaughtering of orangutans due
to the palm oil industry in Central Kalimantan, Hardi and COP fought
rigorously to promote the conservation of Orangutans in the wild.
Consequently, COP has gained confidence, momentum and experience over
the last 12 months and now has a rising profile in Indonesia and across
the world. Hardi and COP are now well positioned to take their campaigns
forward with the energy and enthusiasm that has been lacking in
Indonesia for so long.'

LEIF COCKS is the founder of AOP and has been President since its
foundation. He is Perth Zoo's Curator of Exotic Mammals, Board Member of
the Great Ape Survival

Project (GRASP) Australia and has been working with orangutans for 22
years. Leif has been awarded a Masters of Science from Curtin
University, Western Australia for his research into the improvement of
the welfare of orangutans in captivity. He is author of the book,
Orangutans and their Battle for Survival and wrote the Australasian
Guidelines for Housing Orangutans. Leif is a Committee Member of

the Australian Species Management Program (ASMP), Artiodactyl Taxon
Advisory Group (TAG) Convenor, ASMP Primate Husbandry Advisor and the
International

Studbook Keeper for the Critically Endangered Silvery Gibbon. In 1978
the Australian Orangutan Project was formed.


I  thought you and your organizations might be interested in this event.
Tickets are available from www.adapt2eco.com.au
<http://www.adapt2eco.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_i
d=373>