Regular readers and loyal Little Soap customers will already know how passionate we are about supporting the causes that matter to us. We’ve previously highlighted the amazing work that the charity Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) does to educate on the issue of sustainable palm oil in this post– please do take a read if you haven’t done so already. The work that SOS does is vital for the future of the beautiful creatures it protects- and we urge you to take a moment to head over to their website to find out how you can get involved and help them in their mission. With this in mind, today we wanted to delve a little deeper into their mission and share with you the reasons why Little Soap supports the SOS charity- and hopefully, by the time you reach the end of this post, you will too.
The Crisis
The plight of the orangutan is heartbreaking.
“The relentless destruction of Sumatra’s rainforests has pushed the Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans to the edge of extinction. With fewer than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans and 800 Tapanuli orangutans remaining in the wild, these species are both classified as Critically Endangered. In fact, the Tapanuli orangutan is the most endangered great ape in the world.”
Knowing that forests are being torn down for farming, logging, mining, road building, and hydropower projects has meant that we at Little Soap were simply not able to stand by and do nothing. With the demand for palm oil and timber growing globally, deforestation is 
spreading quickly- leaving orangutan populations broken and isolated. This, in turn, means that they are at more danger of being poached, or simply left to starve. This has to end!
We cannot survive without the rainforests
It’s so easy to reflect on our lives here in the UK and feel as though the plight of the orangutans simply couldn’t be further from our own lives. It’s easy to detach from the horror of it all, but if we all do that, then the stark reality is that these beautiful creatures will become extinct. An entire species wiped out, and for no good reason at all. Orangutans cannot survive without the rainforests- and actually, neither can we.
“For more than 4 million people in Sumatra’s Aceh province, the rainforest is a vital life support system, providing clean water and a whole host of other benefits. The destruction of the ecosystem exposes them to environmental disasters such as flooding and landslides.
Orangutan habitat is also a very important area for the global fight to limit climate change, due to the substantial amount of carbon stored within Sumatra’s forests and peat swamps.”
We need to save the forests
The bottom line is clear. We need to save the forests- and this is what drives us here at Little Soap to support and champion the work of SOS. In particular, we’re supporting the reforestation project so that the charity is able to help rebuild and restore the essential habitats and eco-systems that orangutans (and indeed, the rest of the planet) need to survive. The reforestation project aims to replant land that has been destroyed by farms and other developments, work that requires not only time and effort, but a great deal of funding too. If you would like to help support this vital project, please visit this page to find out how you can make a donation.
The aim of the reforestation project is simple. More trees mean a future for orangutans.
SOS campaigns are vital for the survival of orangutans
If you want to know more, please consider contacting SOS and reach out if you think you can help. The charity campaigns aim to take on the root cause of deforestation that leads to the decline of orangutans in the wild. Lots of work is done to lobby the government and private companies to ensure environmental conservation work commitments are met- and without SOS, the future of this amazing species looks pretty bleak. Together, we can make a difference and help lead the change that is so desperately needed.
