LOOKING EXTINCTION IN THE EYE
With fewer than 350 left alive today, the majestic Sunda tiger of the Indonesian islands is the rarest tiger on earth. All live in the rainforest and jungle of Sumatra.
Over the last 30 years, farmers and loggers have encroached into the natural habitat of this critically endangered species. Deforestation, much caused by palm oil producers, has already made the Sunda tiger extinct in Java and Bali. Now it threatens their existence in Sumatra, too.
A SUSTAINABLE SPECIES
Sustainable palm oil, certified by the RSPO, can help bring the Sumatran tiger back from the brink. It can help prevent the deforestation that’s destroying their home and protect their future. But in Australia – Indonesia’s biggest overseas market for palm oil products – public awareness of the issue has historically been low.
This all changed with a project called “Raise your palm – driving change through Taronga’s Tiger Trek,”. Over the last five years, this project, run by the Taronga Conservation Society, has given more than 4.3 million visitors to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney an unforgettable insight into the tigers’ predicament through an immersive, multimedia experience. Creative and hard-hitting, it brought the issue of sustainable palm oil top of mind for many Australians.
Over the last 30 years, farmers and loggers have encroached into the natural habitat of this critically endangered species. Deforestation, much caused by palm oil producers, has already made the Sunda tiger extinct in Java and Bali. Now it threatens their existence in Sumatra, too.
FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION
Getting so many people up close to the Sumatran tiger and the challenges they face provoked lasting change. The experience didn’t simply outline the issues. It empowered people to make informed buying decisions, showing how they could support RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil in their everyday lives, as well as providing them with an opportunity to contact manufacturers and retailers to encourage them to use sustainable palm oil, certified by the RSPO.
Follow-up research showed that the audience’s understanding of the part sustainable palm oil can play in protecting species grew significantly following the experience. It seems the world is watching and Sumatra tigers will hopefully no longer fade into the undergrowth.
