Channel NewsAsia 12 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE: It was monkey business at the Singapore Flyer on Thursday when two orang utans were lifted 165 metres into the air. This was part of a green effort by the flyer and the Singapore Zoo to highlight the dwindling numbers of the primates in the wild.
12-year-old Chomel and three-year-old Merlin took some time getting used to the mechanical capsule of the Singapore Flyer. Half way through the 30-minute ride, they got a panoramic view of the city jungle.
Fanni Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: “As we go up to the top of the flyer, we all can see that at a 160-metre height. So it is important when we do city development, to ensure we continue to conserve and protect our natural habitat."
Steven Yeo, General Manager, Singapore Flyer, said: "When we met with Fanni and talked about it, she was telling us about the need for conservation and the support of the orang utans and we thought it was a good idea to support that message."
Chomel is being groomed to be the zoo's next ‘green’ ambassador but she has big shoes to fill. She is the fifth granddaughter of the zoo's renowned ape, Ah Meng, which died earlier this year.
There are now only 7,500 such Sumatran orang utans left in the wild and their numbers are dwindling due to the massive destruction of forests in Sumatra and Borneo.
The Singapore Zoo has pledged over US$20,000 to build housing facilities for the displaced animals.
Other conservation efforts include breeding 34 orang utans, some of which have been sent to wildlife preserves overseas. - CNA/vm
Orang utans fly the primate cause
Straits Times 13 Jun 08;
TWO orang utans from the Singapore Zoo had a free ride on the Singapore Flyer yesterday as part of a drive to raise awareness of the plight of these primates.
Sumatran orang utan Chomel, the 12-year-old fifth granddaughter of former zoo icon Ah Meng which died in February, and Merlin, a four-year-old Bornean orang utan, took the first spin of the wheel yesterday.
Accompanied by their handlers, the two orang utans kept gazing out of the capsule at the sights of Singapore's Central Business District throughout the 30-minute tour.
Back on land, the animals were a hit with those who had come for a ride on the Flyer, many stopping to take photographs with them.
Both the Sumatran and Bornean orang utans live in rainforests and are threatened by habitat destruction, forest fires and poaching for the illegal pet trade.
It is estimated that there are 55,000 Bornean orang utans, and only 7,500 Sumatran orang utans, left in the wild. This makes the Sumatran species critically endangered.
To highlight the plight of orang utans, Singapore Flyer and the Singapore Zoo will hold wildlife conservation-themed events for children every weekend from 2pm to 4pm from tomorrow to June 30.
STEPHANIE SONG
